Bushido
by uglypotato
Summary: Samurai AU. When civil war is about to come for everything she holds dear, the new Haruno heir is forced to ask for protection from samurai families. Alliances are shaken, old friends resurface, but can the will of fire defeat years of oppression ? (SasuSaku)
1. Building alliances

Chapter 1 - Building Alliances

" _In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity_ "

* * *

The soft sound of wooden sandals rang against the outside corridor, and, like a delicate bird settling on a branch, halted. At this early hour, the gardens were even quieter than usual. Fog was still underneath the trees and in between the soft leaves of the carefully-trimmed bushes, like a mantle of wonder. The wind was blowing enough to create a sense of anticipation, but the woman standing on the platform was silent. She was breathing slowly, small puffs of warm air turning into subtle swirls in the cold morning.

Her heavy jūnihitoe, or twelve-layer robe was shielding her body from the chilly atmosphere, and while the red on her cheeks matched the rich crimson of one of the warily-put coats; her large green eyes, desperately fixated on the horizon above the red tiles of the courtyard found echoes in the delicate patterns on one of the folds of her sleeves. Her slender, pale hands barely escaped from the lush seams of fabric, and were tightly holding each other in a controlled display of worry.

She closed her eyes for an instant, tilting her head forward and enjoying the quiet peace of the estate. Her introspection didn't prevent her from noticing faint steps echoing on the wooden platform, stopping a mere meter away from her. The presence was soothing, strong, and she picked a delicate mix of musk, soap and vetiver grass. She allowed a small smile to grace her crimson lips, and, without looking at the man beside her, opened her eyes once more to gaze at the waking dawn.

"I couldn't sleep", she whispered.

The man allowed himself to let his glance linger on her noble façade one second too long, before turning his steel eyes away, fixated on the small pond at the centre of the garden. The water was ice cold, and a fine coating of ice laid on top of the still waters.

"Me neither", he answered, matching her restraint.

She let out a shaky breath, before unclasping her hands and turning her face fully to him. She was stunning, a mixture of royalty and raw beauty, and her big, green eyes were as deep as the pond alongside them, a careful balance of worry and eagerness. She was so young, he thought, way too young for what was coming.

"Do you think anyone will answer?" she inquired in a trembling voice, refusing to break eye contact.

"You still have allies, Sakura-sama", the man answered. "Your father had many friends and brothers of arms."

"But amongst the brothers and the friends, are there any brave men left?" she wondered aloud.

The man didn't answer, his gaze trailing on her delicate features, noticing a beauty spot on her jaw concealed under the white powder, the way her long lashes were barely brushing the top of her red cheeks. He barely suppressed a shiver, that he knew wasn't due to the icy air sweeping through his grey hair and the top of his ears. His mask, covering half of his face and his neck, provided plenty of protection against the wind, and his body was trained to ignore the cold. Unaware – or ignoring- his looks, Sakura let her eyes trail in the garden again.

"Everyone is afraid of Danzo", she whispered. "And after what he did … Even I am scared, I'll admit it."

Her smooth voice died in her tightened throat.

"I called out the best. Have faith. What Danzo did to your father and brother was appalling, but it was also careless. Kizashi was respected, and admired. If nothing, it strengthened our pleas against his regime."

She nodded slowly, the metal ornaments of her hairdo ringing like bells in the empty air.

"They didn't even return the bodies", she murmured. "Will my brother and father be able to cross the Sanzu River with no guidance? He has no respect for anything, even honour is unknown to the man."

He could see her tiny fists clenched under the layers of fabric, and, on a whim, took one in his callous hands. She looked at him, surprised, but did not pull away.

"I am sure they heard your prayers. They were great men, and warriors. They will find a path, straight to your mother", he murmured softly.

Sakura smiled a little bit at this thought.

"I can picture her, staring at them and scolding them. "Idiots!" she would call them. "You could have waited a little longer before coming back to me!"".

They both laughed lightly, and it was like the sun was rising all of a sudden. The cold air was warmer, and the sun shone a bit brighter as her melodious chuckles conquered the morning. She pulled her hand away, slowly, before carrying on, resolute.

"I am alone where I should have never been, but I'll do them honour. I'll carry on with their fight, even if I have to do it from here."

"Tsunade-hime would be very proud of you", the man added with what she guessed was a small smile on his masked lips.

"She will come back to us soon", she stated without a waver.

They fell into a peaceful, lighter silence as the rays of the sun were stroking the garden and the morning was truly settling. Their contemplation was interrupted after long minutes when hasty steps joined them on the outside porch. A servant, still in the opening of the sliding doors leading to the main body of the house, bowed quickly before uttering:

"Sakura-dono, the guests have started to arrive. The panel is set and they are waiting for you in the golden salon."

Sakura thanked the woman and turned to her companion. No more hesitation in her eyes, he noticed, nothing, but the will of fire burning everything on its path.

"It's time we know what mighty warriors stand in this room", she declared.

"Only the best, I am sure. Our fight is just."

"I hope some of these foolish men don't just want to marry", she uttered bleakly. "The estate is immense, and with a woman at its head … It's one of the reasons Tsunade-hime was ousted. They think we are weak, fragile little things. No matter what we do, in the eyes of men, we are dolls at the best, expendable at the least."

"You are nothing like that, Sakura", the man advanced in a more informal way.

"But, Kakashi", she answered in a whisper, "am I not where I am because men chose to lend me power? Because I've trusted men like you to offer me guidance? Am I not the rare product of a privileged upbringing and the will of men?"

The man stared at her without saying a word, and lifted a hand to barely graze her temple from the tip of his fingers. She held his gaze, and, as he pulled away, she heard him repeat:

"Nothing like that."

He went back a few steps, bowed deeply, and without another word, went in the direction of the golden salon, through the sliding door. He halted for an instant, throwing a last look at her, all crimson and white and pink, but she was staring at the tiles of the roof again, in the direction of the main road. Swiftly, he went back inside, bringing the cold morning with him in the hallway.

* * *

The heavy panel was settled in-between Sakura and the Samurai lords in order for them to only see glimpses of her pale fingers and layers of her rich jūnihitoe. She could barely see the figures through the pieces of decorated rice paper, and could only hear their voices and titles, as they were bowing in front of her in a sign of respect. Most of them were faithful friends of her father, and she made sure to grace some of the most important men a few, well-picked words to thank them personally of their loyalty.

Kakashi, in the corner of the room, on his knees, was able to see all the lords as they moved forward, and was favoured enough to see almost of Sakura's figure, as one of her most trusted advisors. He could see behind the panel the soft shaking of her head, the locks of long, flowing pink hair caressing the silk of her dress, and the tilt of her hand she was sure to display for some honoured guests.

The lords were following each other and, to his contempt, he realised that over twenty samurai families had answered to their call for protection. Some were more powerful than others, and, to the eager looks on their faces, some were motivated by the tales of the legendary beauty of former Tsunade-hime's apprentice and only daughter of the very wealthy Haruno estate. Servants were hidden behind rice paper panels, and sometimes an old woman with a strict face would trot behind Sakura to arrange a millimetre of fabric, the inclination of her hair or slightly correct her posture. It was, after all, her first outing as heir, and she had to make an impression.

Sakura was uncomfortable in the many layers of her heavy dress, and terribly hot, and it took every ounce of her control to not either faint or run outside, in the much more welcoming fresh air of the gardens.

There was only one man left to introduce himself, and, as he bowed so that his forehead nearly touched the floor, she almost gasped. A flash of bright yellow and the sensation as if the sun himself had come in, plus the incredulous hush that invaded the room confirmed her initial thoughts, and a large smile was barring her concealed face even before the young man introduced himself.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, heir of the Uzumaki family, son of General Minato Namikaze, and I pledge my sword to you, Haruno-hime", he said with a loud, confident voice that made the panel vibrate with his shining energy.

After all, the Uzumaki were known for their incredulous abilities, that, according to the legend, they were drawing directly from the sun. Such a pledge, by such a powerful family, was an honour, and, even if Sakura expected it with apprehension – the General Namikaze and his wife were currently in hiding from Danzo and collaborating with Tsunade-hime herself- she drew an ecstatic breath. The fact that he used the honorific "hime" and not the traditional "dono" mirrored Tsunade's title, and was a clear sign to where his loyalty lied. She was beaming from seeing a young man she hadn't faced in years, answering to her call from a far-away land.

"The honour is mine", she replied softly to Naruto under gasps from the audience.

Kakashi smiled, despite knowing that Naruto would have had come for Sakura at any time. Only the best, he said. Especially old friends.

* * *

The night was nearly settling and Sakura was in her private office alongside Naruto and Kakashi, laughing softly and catching up on old times while drinking rice wine – Sakura pouring herself some when her maids were not looking. The sliding doors were open to the garden, the air warm thanks to an iron wood-burning stove in the middle of the room. Heavy rain was pouring, and the sound of droplets falling in the pond rhythmed their talks.

She had changed into a more comfortable, but still highly elaborated three-layered kimono and had let her long hair down, only held by a small crimson bow in the crook of her back, some lock flowing freely against her peach, makeup-free cheeks.

"So, your training with Jiraya-sama has finished", she said wile looking at Naruto, who nodded eagerly.

"He returned to Tsunade-hime's. Three years away from her was a long time", he snickered. "By the end, he was insufferable."

"You saying this sure puts things in perspective", Kakashi replied with a small laugh before emptying another glass of rice wine.

Sakura laughed lightly at the sight of Naruto loosing all his cool, blood away from his face as he started wailing at Kakashi, outraged. They carried on talking about old days, when all of them were just children and the war seemed far away.

Later during the evening, while they were talking about more serious matters, one of her servants approached her discreetly, and she scooted closer to her to listen to what she had to say.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Naruto leaned on Kakashi and whispered:

"Didn't you call _him_ as well? I though he'd have answered."

"I have no idea where he is now, and if he is alive. With everything that happened, and his brother … Maybe he just didn't want to come", Kakashi murmured looking longingly at Sakura who was busy with her maid.

Naruto followed his gazed and frowned.

"I don't want to believe that. He is way too strong. Even if he is a Ronin, I would've heard if he was dead."

"Maybe he sided with Danzo. Last time I heard he was seen with the Akatuski, and you know how dangerous they are", Kakashi uttered darkly.

"Don't say things like that!" Naruto exclaimed as discreetly as possible.

Kakashi didn't answer, still meditative. Naruto looked at him, then at Sakura, who was whispering with her servant while she was arranging her hair and clothes.

"And don't wish for what you can't reach", he carried on quietly. "I've renounced a long time ago, and so should you."

Kakashi glared at Naruto for a second too long.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Come on", the blond chuckled while pouring them another glass of rice wine. "We don't stand a chance."

"He has been gone over ten years", Kakashi said before emptying his glass in one swift movement.

"Sometimes, you have been in love with someone for so long, you don't remember who you used to be before that", the blond sighed in a soft voice, looking at his glass.

Kakashi was about to answer, when a second servant barged in, haggard and panting. After excusing herself and bowing, she whispered something to Sakura in a hurry, who immediately got up and towards the main door.

"Sakura-dono!" her servants yelled after her, but the sound of her wooden shoes echoed through the hallways as she was sprinting as fast as she could towards the entrance of the mansion.

Kakashi and Naruto followed promptly, grabbing their katanas in their wake. They followed her until they reached the open sliding door to the main courtyard. The rain was pouring down and the earth had turned into mud, small puddles of water starting to appear. Some lanterns light up the courtyard and some of the road ahead, the door kept open. Sakura, followed by her maids and the two samurais, sprinted in front of the astounded guards. Her delicate dress was covered in mud and her shoes were slipping in the rain, but she didn't care, and, when they saw her wet, pink flowing locks stopping a few meters in front of the main gates, facing a silhouette, Kakashi, Naruto and the maids halted in unison.

The silhouette, clad in a black travel cape, a long black katana visible in the folds of his kimono, stopped in front of the young woman, as the rain was trailing down her face and her neck, her chest lifting erratically as she stood here, all glory, grace, beauty and porcelain.

A single hand lifted from under the dark cloak, and placed a wet lock behind her white ear as she stared at the man. They said nothing for what seemed forever, the rain starting to reach the skin under the layers of her dress, looking at each other. He let his hand fall at his side, barely touching her. She looked at him as if he was a ghost, and dumfounded, all she could do was utter his name in a soft whisper:

"Sasuke …"


	2. The Ronin

_Chapter 2 – The Ronin_

 _"_ _Who wishes to fight must first count the cost."_

* * *

The drops of the freezing rain were everywhere on her skin, rolling on the soft curve of her shoulders, under her kimono, on her dirty, delicate feet, but Sakura-dono, heir of the Haruno clan, a woman whose attitude mattered more than her words, stayed here. Her shaking slender legs couldn't move as she felt the grasp of ice seize her under the pouring rain. Caged by the sight of a regal face, high cheekbones, alabaster skin and eyes of a thousand shadows, she refused to look away, as if Sasuke could disappear in the dark as he desired.

He was holding her look as if he was embracing her, and he looked as taken aback as she was, lips slightly parted, in between words. The rain was falling in his dirty black hair, droplets hanging from his straight locks, sticking to his skin. He looked in terrible shape, she couldn't help but notice. His clothes were old and worn, and his black cape was barely concealing his blood-stained and shredded travel jacket. The slashes were too thin and clear-cut to be considered anything else but remnants of battle, and, Sakura realised all of a sudden, were probably matching wounds beneath the cloth. She was about to speak, when the oldest domestic and head of protocol barged in with a red umbrella.

"Sakura-dono! You shouldn't stay outside in such an ensemble", she huffed. "The lords could see you, and if they were to witness you like that, they would…"

"I know", whispered Sakura calmly, closing her eyes briefly in acceptance.

Her maid seemed to relax a little bit, but gestured her towards the mansion.

"Let's go madam, before anyone else realises you've gone outside", she insisted.

Sakura opened her eyes, making jade and onyx clash once more. She felt enthralled like a leaf at the surface of water, sucked into a typhoon. Longingly, and with much effort, she broke the contact Sasuke had maintained in silence, to turn to her maid.

"Satsuki-san, let's provide a room and some clothing for this man. He is an old friend, and he needs shelter."

The maid barely looked at Sasuke and answered curtly:

"A ronin under your roof, him amongst all, is not good, madam. If the lords see him…"

"They will eventually. He is here to stay, as long as he wants", she whispered, starting to walk back at a more noble pace in the direction of the gates.

The maid pursed her lips in a thin line, and followed her mistress, holding the umbrella. Kakashi and Naruto were still standing by the door, speechless, their fine kimonos drenched under the cold rain, hands on the handle of their katanas, still in their scabbards. Kakashi, after a brief look at the ronin, kept his stare on Sakura as she was walking, composed, towards them. The haste and the chaos of earlier was long gone, and she was in control of her thoughts and actions once again. Kakashi knew, however, as he passed her, that she was not, in fact, in control. Her delicate perfume mixed with the wild scent of rain clung onto him as she passed by his side, avoiding his stare, concealed by the red umbrella. There she was, the heir and the stranger, the distant and the untamed. He couldn't help to fall into step behind her, part of him considering that, as her advisor, she would need him soon enough, but also to make as much distance between her and the man in black that started to follow her trail a few meters back.

Naruto watched Sakura as she walked past his side with a small, encouraging smile. She allowed herself to return it, knowing very well how he, amongst all others, felt the same way as she did. His heart was throbbing in his chest at the sight of Sasuke, alive, after so many years, and, more importantly, here. They were children the last time they parted, barely fifteen, still in training at their instructor's, legendary samurai Sakumo Hatake. Back then, there was no war, no exile, and Tsunade-hime was the fair ruler the country of Fire deserved.

They held eye contact as Sasuke walked passed him, following Sakura without a word, but Naruto, in one swift move, stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He noticed from the corner of his eye that Sasuke's hand was on the handle of his katana, thumb at the guard, ready to draw. His smile widened – his second hand in the exact same position on his own sword.

"Why are you here?" he enquired, as they both stood facing each other.

His hand was wet from the rain and Sasuke's drenched clothes, but firm on the other man's lean shoulder. We both grew up so much, he thought. Ten years do that, broadening shoulders and hardening spirits. The ronin looked at him, speechless for a few moments, before uttering:

"It is none of your business."

Naruto's grasp tightened, both on his katana and on the other man's clothes. The rain was falling freely in his blond locks, rolling down his cheeks and his neck without him paying any attention. His stare on Sasuke was intense, and they were facing each other, different in all the ways but never closer.

"Did you know, what Danzo did to her father and brother?"

Sasuke let his black orbs trail down on Sakura's back, lost somewhere in her locks, fixated on the small crimson bow she wore, the Haruno emblem proudly displayed on her luxuriant kimono.

"I do not wish to hurt her", he said after a while.

"She needs us", the blond stammered. "We need to be able to trust you. You think coming here was hard? Wait until we have to convince every single lord in the room to still follow her if she welcomes you here."

Sasuke didn't answer, and Naruto carried on, strengthening his grip as if he was afraid that Sasuke could turn away now.

"She will fight for you. I will fight for you. But we know nothing of the man you have become, and despite our longing for your return, you have to understand that if you walk in here with us, it will not be an easy ride. This is why I need to ask you. Why are you here?"

The sound of droplets falling around them was like the echo of old whispers, a thousand of tenuous voices from the past, of stories as old as time.

"My Clan", Sasuke uttered then stopped.

Every word seemed difficult, and his rough, rumbling voice was raw and heavy with grief.

"It was Danzo too."

Naruto's hand fell limp at his side, remembering the smell of blood and iron as if it was yesterday. He could still hear the feral cries that racked his friend's body, could still feel the blood on the tip of his tongue, insidious and unforgiving. Sasuke's eyes landed in his, and all of a sudden he understood a little bit of the ronin, the fallen heir, the man with nothing left.

With his brother gone god only knew where, his estate shredded to pieces, his family and his future ripped away from him, Sasuke had been so very lonely, he realised, lonelier than he could've imagined. However, with this new information, a ten year run for vengeance had found a purpose and turned into something greater. For the first time in years, a flame long smothered had started to ignite.

Sasuke craved for justice. Redemption. And most of all, a revolution. And with the recent demise of the Haruno clan, he found in his oldest friends brothers of misery and anger.

Naruto turned in direction of the mansion just in time to see Sakura's silhouette going through the doors, followed promptly by her maids that had waited for her. Kakashi stood for a moment outside, looking at the ronin, then entered. He left the sliding door open, and Naruto grinned.

"Follow me. You need a bath and new clothes. You look awful", he waved as he started walking, his back turned to the man.

Naruto could not see, but the Uchiha, underneath the grime, the blood, the rain and the mud, was softly smiling.

* * *

Sakura came back to her private office once changed from her clothes at the pressing demand of her maids. Naruto and Kakashi were waiting, the first with a drink in his hand and the latter anxiously pacing the room. The door slid without a noise but both looked up to face Sakura as soon as she slipped in, silent as a shadow despite her lacquered wooden shoes. Her hair was left flowing, the little crimson bow still at the small of her back, holding the end of her locks, and it was as if spring himself had entered the chamber.

She looked around and let a quiet sigh escape her lips, noticing the Uchiha was not –yet- here. Closing the door behind her, leaving her maids in the hallway, she walked straight to the liquor cabinet and poured herself some shochu. She downed the glass in one swift gulp, set it back on the wooden surface and faced her two companions, her pale cheeks with a newfound colouring and her running heart soothed for now. Naruto emptied his glass in a chuckle before setting it next to hers, and fell in an informal, cross-legged sitting position on the floor. Sakura sat by his side, her legs on the side of her body, while Kakashi sat more formally in front of them. The three of them stood in silence for a while, before Kakashi stepped in.

"Many lords will not follow you anymore if they know that you are welcoming the last Uchiha under your roof", he said quietly, his voice laced with concern.

"I know", she answered calmly.

He looked in her deep green eyes, aware of the storm rumbling behind her pupils. Seeing her so contained and calm certainly fitted her position, once again proof of her perfect control, but he knew her and her spirit of fire. Yet here she was, closeted and calm, refusing to open herself to him as if she was still in the presence of samurai lords and not friends, and the thought disturbed him more than he wished.

"We will make them understand. Sasuke has lost his clan because of Danzo. We are on the same side here", the blond samurai argued.

"Naruto … I know that when it comes to Sasuke you loose all reason, and even if I am inclined to believe in you two, I just …"

"He is here now, isn't he?" Interrupted Sakura in her restrained tone. "So it is not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when". I chose sides the second I let him walk through that door."

"I am just dreading the moment when you'll have to explain to a room full of men that agreed the day before to renew the vows they made to your father that you already changed the rules of the game", growled Kakashi. "You have to understand that this will not go smoothly."

"I accept whatever consequences come along", she carried on, looking in the direction of the garden still damp from the heavy rain.

Naruto was silently approving, obviously unaware –or uncaring- of the consequences. Kakashi felt a pang of jealousy course through his veins. After years at her service, all it took was a certain pretty face to make her turn her back to him. It was so unfair it made him want to walk away for good, just run away from her and her smiles, her words and everything that made her so distant and excruciatingly close. Honour, however, expected more of him. He slammed his fist in the tatami next to him, making Sakura and Naruto flinch. She finally fixed her eyes in his, startled.

"You don't understand!" he exclaimed. "You could loose everything! **We** could loose everything! And not just your estate, not your titles, your honour or the wealth of your family, but your life, Sakura! You need to understand how dangerous it is to…"

The door behind him slid shut in a thud, and his words hung in the air, as a new silhouette had walked in, silent as a shadow.

"She knows, Kakashi", Sasuke simply said as he walked in.

Sakura looked towards him. The room was heavy with the humidity of the rain and the heat of the stove, the smell of alcohol lingering in the air, and it felt like time itself had stopped to take a breath. Sasuke, finally, poured himself a glass of shochu and sat beside her and the silver-haired samurai, closing their little circle. Naruto snickered and poured three more glasses, handing them to his friends. Sakura took hers gracefully, contemplating what was inside as if she didn't had any before, before dipping her lips, one hand under the glass. They were all silent, fighting traces of smiles on their lips, eyeing each other. Kakashi sighed deeply.

"You realise the situation is nothing like your old shenanigans back at my father's estate, right?"

"Kakashi, stop worrying. We are back together. What could happen?" Naruto said, his smile widening by the minute.

"It was ten years ago. We are adults now, and I did not loose sight of my duty, nor my father's", Sakura pointed out. "I am glad, however, to count on such precious allies."

Sasuke snorted before taking a sip of his drink.

"Kakashi is right you know. By welcoming me, you are taking a risk."

"A calculated one." Sakura said, raising her hand at Naruto before he intervened.

"We might end up alone," Sasuke whispered before finishing his glass in a quick gulp.

"Then we will do just fine. I need people I can trust, not people that will question my every step. Besides, we all know that you three combined are worth an army", she added with a sly smile.

"That's for sure!" Naruto exclaimed. "But we all know that I could defeat Sasuke in a blindfold."

Sasuke glared at his childhood friend, while Sakura let a chuckle escape her lips. Kakashi unwounded, looking at them. There was no going back, anyways, and tomorrow was another day to worry about.

"Seeing the three of you sure brings back old days", Kakashi said with a soft smile.

"Do you remember when we were children?" Sakura asked. "You and Naruto would always bicker at the silliest things. Who had the best training sword, who got to demonstrate with Sakumo sensei… I thought you were so lucky, to be taught how to fight, while I had to stay indoors with the girls", she sighed.

Sasuke, as the second son of the extremely powerful Uchiha Clan, and Naruto, son of General Namikaze, were sent to be raised at his estate, with the finest warriors and children of their generation at 7, as arranged by tradition. Sakura and other girls her age were here as well, sent, as samurai daughters, to be taught literature, poetry, and submit to the strictest etiquette and honour codes. They were, under the patronage of Kakashi's father, supposed to perpetuate samurai tradition in the finest way, to grow to be an instructed and disciplined elite.

"You broke out anyways", Naruto remarked.

"And trained with us and Kakashi in secret", the Uchiha added.

"And kicked our butts!"

"Your butt", Sasuke corrected before pouring more shochu in their glasses.

Naruto squealed, while Kakashi and Sakura giggled in unison. Conversation came back to the four of them like an old friend, and they carried on talking until night started to turn to dawn. Satsuki, her maid and head of protocol slid the door open after a few hours, a severe frown painted on her face.

"Sakura-dono. You should take some rest and leave the men to their … business", she said, staring at the glasses between them. "You are meeting with the lords tomorrow and the preparations will start early in the morning."

"Oh, come on baa-san! You can't even see her behind the panel!" Naruto fussed.

Kakashi slapped him on the back of the head.

"Sakura-dono is the heir and head of the clan. She has to act as such."

He turned to the young woman.

"She is right. Take some rest. We will do the same. Come on Naruto", he said while lifting the blond despite a yap of protestation.

He bowed deeply to Sakura, a spark in the eye, while forcing Naruto to do the same in what appeared to be a sluggish hold but, as she doubted, was as hard to break from as iron. Both men took their leave, and Sakura got up. Sasuke was still sitting, his face turned to the gardens where the rain had stopped to pour. Droplets were indolently sliding on the leaves, and only the faintest echo of rain remained in the silence of the night. She looked for a moment in the same direction as him, both peacefully silent before he got up in a sign of respect.

"Sasuke?" She asked soflty when he straightened up, his eyes opaque as the sky in the gardens fixed on her for the first time in the evening.

He did not answer, nor looked away, and merely moved, engulfing her in a feeling she thought was long gone. She could feel the pull towards him as if their bodies were held together by the thicker rope, and the sight of his chest slowly rising, barely concealed by a black kimono, was enough to confirm to her that she was not the only one in this situation. It has always been like this with him, in-between words and half-excuses, nothing more than lingering looks and telling silences, but after ten years, she could hear, for the first time, all that the man could not state himself.

 _"_ _I missed you."_

"Sakura-dono," the servant interjected for the second time.

She reluctantly turned away from him, peeling her eyes away from his unforgiving look, and started to move after a shy smile. A hand grasped hers firmly. It was callous and rough, so hard against her pale, delicate one, but she felt a spike of electricity course through her arm and all the way to her lower back at the contact. She turned to face the man once more, his lips pursed in a thin smirk.

"It doesn't suit you," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"This," he gestured at the maid and the rich ornaments of her kimono. "You are a warrior, just like us."

"War is a matter of men. My duty lies elsewhere now", she whispered a bit too quickly, trying to avoid his eyes.

"You can fool everyone, but not me."

"Sakura-dono", Satsuki insisted.

Sasuke glared at the woman, but his grasp on her hand lessened.

"This is my duty. With my brother and father gone, I am all this estate has left", she said in a murmur. "No matter what I want, the estate must prevail."

Sasuke looked at her for a long time, and gave one last, tiny squeeze at the tip of her fingers before letting her slide away from him.

"Sakura", he called before she could walk away.

She held out a yelp of surprise when she saw him bow deeply. In this instant, as every other moment, she knew what it meant.

 _"_ _I'll follow you."_

She was about to turn away to hide her smile, when she heard him murmur, his voice full of raw, sore emotion and his eyes firmly set on the tatami under him:

"Thank you."

The feeling that burst over her nearly took away her restraint. It was so much, so pure, every little bit of something she, as always coming from him, did not expect. It took every ounce of energy she had left not to throw herself at him, in his arms, regardless of all decency. She left the room, biting the inside of her long sleeve to keep the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes. As she walked away, Sasuke straightened up, and kept his eyes on the old crimson bow in her hair, dangling at the small of her back.

It was the exact shade of red displayed on what used to be the Uchiha crest.

Ten years did not make it lost any colour.

* * *

 _Hey everyone. Thank you so much for your first reviews, it means the world. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did._

xxx


	3. Opportunities

_Chapter 3 - Opportunity_

 _"_ _The greatest victory is that which requires no battle._ _»_

* * *

The room was rumbling and fumbling with noise. The heir of the Haruno clan had yet to make an appearance, and the lords were not as discreet and contained as in front of Sakura, undertones of mutiny hanging in the air.

Kakashi and Naruto were struggling to keep the samurais in check since the Uchiha had made an apparition at the entrance of the room, his long hair kept up in a traditional ponytail and in a fine black kimono that was very obviously gifted by the mistress of the estate. He kept silent, his hand on the handle of his katana, next to a rice panel leading to the corridor. Naruto stood boldly by his side, his katana discarded by the entrance of the room with the other lords' – as custom expected it- but striking nonetheless.

Kakashi was in between the two groups, trying desperately to reason with the lords while waiting for the arrival of Sakura. She was late, but one would argue she was making a blatant power stance by making everyone waiting for her.

"Hatake-san, what is the meaning of all this? Is Haruno-dono aware of the presence of this ronin under her roof, hostile and refusing to hand over his katana? This situation is unprecedented and alarming", enquired a tall man as a barely concealed menace.

"Miamize-dono", we understand your concern, but Haruno-dono will soon explain everything, Kakashi replied, raising both hands in front of him.

"No, you understand nothing. If some of my subordinates knew that I stood in the room with the last Uchiha, my influence with the Shogun would be highly jeopardized."

"His clan is cursed, and his members were wiped out and banished from nobility", an other lord spat from across the room.

"Are you all so afraid of Danzo?" Sasuke cut in a looming tone.

Lord Miamize turned to fully glare at the man for a minute.

"You do not dare to speak to me in that manner, ronin, if you wish to outlive the day", he growled.

"He has a point, Naruto claimed. We are assembling here to provide protection to Haruno-dono, and you know, since her father's and brother's … passing, that the estate is on very… unstable terms with the shogun. You allying with us sure sends a message to Danzo."

"A message, for sure," a chunky lord in a crimson kimono argued. "Not a war declaration – and there is a huge statement between these two, and our actions towards Haruno-dono."

They kept on babbling, both sides trying to reason with the other, voices stronger and louder, despite the usual civility required of such highly-ranked aristocrats.

Sakura was standing behind a full body panel for the whole time, quietly listening to the discussion while hiding. A technique her father had taught her – always know what your allies say about you when you are not in the room. She was walking on a tight rope, she knew it. Her choice of bringing Sasuke in was a hasty, foolish one – but it made so much sense to her that she couldn't look away, despite everyone's advice, Naruto and Kakashi aside.

There were things even the two of them didn't know. She was worried she would have to drop the truth very soon, and couldn't allow herself to – Tsunade would be so very disappointed, and she didn't want, for anything in the world, fail her. She clenched her tiny, perfect, powdered fists at the sound of another insult towards the Uchiha, predicting that the lords would not follow her into battle if she asked them to. She knew they were playing a political game, but fewer allies were better than unreliable ones. She needed to make an impression, and quick, or she would loose them all.

She quickly gestured at her servants to set up her arrival, and they slid the door quietly to allow her to take place on the stage on the side of the room. As her maid was adjusting the rice paper panel separating her from the rest of the rumbling room to make only her hands visible, she sat down, and said loud and clear, her pristine voice echoing through the panels for all the lords to hear:

"Let them see me. I want to see the discourteous myself."

Satuski, her head servant, threw her a questioning look, but after a quick indication of the head from her mistress, slid wide open the panel to the platform, leaving her posed for all eyes to see. Kakashi turned first to look at her, Naruto quickly taking place at the bottom of the platform with her advisor. Both men bowed deeply and sat down on cushions reserved to them, exposing them as her most trusted men. Sasuke stood by the door for a minute, before taking a seat next to the corridor, directly facing her. In one swift gesture, he removed his sword from the rope around his waist and put it in front of him on the floor. His hands were on his knees, and despite an official bow, she knew it was the best his proud self could allow himself.

The room had gone quiet, the lords quickly seating down, and she felt all expecting, astounded eyes weighing on her. And what a display indeed she was! All crimson, gold and white, her long pink tresses lifted up in an intricate coiffure made of gold and jade ornaments framing her petite, white face like ribbons, she was for the first time since she was just a child, exposed to the admirable, demanding and ruthless samurai lords that renewed her pledges to her family. Her crimson and white jūnihitoe was, in a way, her own armor, one she had to bear and tolerate for now. From the quiet gasps, she knew her entrance was a successful one – and the fact that she was feeling a pair of onyx eyes piercing her like raging fire only made her more confident.

"I was told only the bravest answered my call", she started.

She knew all of the men in the room by heart – their faces, riches, lands, current issues and concerns. And now, she knew their stance on what mattered the most to her: Danzo. She would show them what underestimating a woman like her could cost. She was not a mere doll, paintings on a rice panel, a delicacy you could easily go without. She was the only heir of her clan, a strong, young woman with so much more boiling under the surface of her skin she was eager to reveal.

"Yet, I see no one answering this description."

Her head was tilting from one side of the room to another, her golden hairdo ringing like a bird in the heavy air as she was looking at the lords one by one without saying a word. Very few held her look, and she took her time to establish her dominance and power over them. Kakashi and Naruto stood proudly by the platform, silent, their eyes on Sakura like a silent breath. She took great care on letting her jade eyes only idly glide over the strong and tall figure of the last Uchiha. She was in perfect control of her emotions, her face and posture not giving away a single thing as she looked at him. As his eyes remained dreadfully, dangerously jammed with hers, she felt like a scorching fire was slowly burning at the small of her back. She was the perfect face of composure while fighting the shivers running down her spine and her arms, like a floating caress, like a lover's embrace.

She subtly directed her eyes to the next lord a moment too quickly, and couldn't help but see the almost indistinct smirk on Sasuke's thin lips. It was a power play she knew, and he was playing her the same way she was playing the lords. He was teasing – and playful, and this attitude did brought back some memories. She mirrored his concealed smile for an instant, before looking at the whole room. The samurai, after the initial shock of seeing Sakura in all her apparel, started to feel irritated at her scolding them like children. The room was full of whispers and resonances of sliding kimono robes.

"Understand me my lords", she carried on. "I thought you renewed your vows to my Clan's name and swore that you would protect me against what is to come. If any of you doubted of what we were referring to, I will be clearer: Danzo killed my father. Danzo killed my brother."

Kakashi was watching her carefully from the bottom of the platform. He knew her since she was a little girl at his father's estate. But how did the years transformed her in such a woman was still a mystery, despite following her for so long. What did she do, after Sakumo's school was burnt to the ground, the same terrible night all the Uchiha were slaughtered? Sasuke fled on open roads, Naruto went to his new master, and Kakashi enrolled at the service of Sakura's father. But she was hidden away, in the arms of the man she had been promised to. She then disappeared for months, even years, only returning briefly, always kept like a precious secret. Rumours that she was being trained by Tsunade-hime herself on the outside border started to spread, and soon, Sakura did not return at all.

Last time he saw her, she was nineteen years old, standing on her horse near the gates of the estate. In that moment, at dawn, in the same courtyard as the one drenched in rain and mud he saw her ran into last night without a waver, she left alone, with fire in her eyes and without looking back.

She only came back four years later, when her father and brother were held for trial at Danzo's court.

Sakura, on the platform, briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Kakashi recognised the look from that morning that sent shivers down his spine.

"And if he knows anything about me, Danzo is coming to kill me."

Murmurs stopped.

"I need allies that can, when time requires, side with me against Danzo. Now, if this is of your distaste, or if you fear for your people I'd prefer that you maintain a neutral position towards the estate. We will maintain courteous commercial relationships but I will not ask for your men when times come, and neither will you."

She let out a sly smile before continuing.

"If you fear for your life only, I authorize that you withdraw from our agreement. I do not need men that quiver when the enemy is approaching. I only need people I can trust with my eyes closed. And whether you like it or not, Uchiha-san is one of them."

The room started to shake with agitation once more. She only had to slightly lift her hand for it to become quiet once more. The will of fire was gone, and she was back to her docile, poised self.

"You have until tomorrow to give me your final answer. Until then, you are my most honoured guests, please enjoy the food and entertainment we have prepared for you."

At her gesture, maids started to flow into the room, carrying rice wine and delicacies, others with kabukis to start playing diverting melodies. Soon the room broke into laughter and chats, and Naruto jumped to join Sakura, yanked by the collar of his kimono by Kakashi at the very last minute. He made him seat at the edge of the platform, while Sakura was formally seated on her cushion, under the stern look of her protocol intendant.

"Sakura-chan, you were great! These lords are always so stuck-up and double-faced; they didn't expect to be put back in place by a woman! And look at you! You are beautiful! Even better than yesterday, 'ttebayo!"

Kakashi threw him a desperate look, while Sasuke was silently approaching.

"How is the daughter of Hyûga-sama? I've heard that you were mandated for months to ensure her protection, and she kept talking to me about you in one of her letters I received this morning", Sakura said with malice.

Naruto grew beetroot red, loosing all his confidence in a matter of seconds.

"Hinata-sama talked about me?!" he shrieked.

"She said that she "will always remember when you took her to the moon". Now, I do hope that it's literal, otherwise it might be very scandalous if people knew what you are doing with the princess you are supposed to protect …"

Her eyes were twinkling at the sight of Naruto going from all colors.

"Actually, Sakura-chan, it's a long story, we were investigating on some very powerful warlords from an ancient clan, and Hinata-chan helped and …"

""-chan", Eh? Now now, my poor Naruto…" she kept going, her smile windening, mirroring Kakashi's.

Even Sasuke was amused to see Naruto, prodigy son of the best war General of a generation, literally contorting himself while incoherently babbling. Sakura let out a pristine laugh, hidden behind her long sleeve, and all of a sudden he could not take her eyes off her. It was like a call, that laugh, nothing the ones he knew so well of her, but more like a tamed glimmer of old times. It was soothing, and the familiarity of that scene brought peace to his heart for a little moment out of time.

Their little reunion was interrupted when Shinzo Akamatsu, one of the more vocal lords from prior Sakura's arrival, approached the young woman by bowing by the platform.

"Haruno-sama, please excuse my interruption. I would love to entertain you in a private audience. We have much to discuss, I believe."

Sakura threw a long look at the man in front over while her three companions took a respectful step back, falling back in a more formal posture. He was very tall, his shoulders broad. His long, black hair were kept in a half-bun at the top of his head, in a traditional way. His fine kimono was not an overly-refined court kimono, but rather a quiet display of his power and influence: black with discreet embroideries of the finest fabric, yet very utilitarian and comfortable. He was around 40 years old, athletic, but his piercing ice-blue eyes carried the wisdom of a thousand years. He was at the head of one of the most influent families of Japan, directly originating from an ancient emperor. Its support had been for many years the main reason of the current influence of the Haruno clan, and he and Sakura's father were old friends – a young Shinzo having trained for years alongside Kizashi, new samurai lord. He was a very fine politician, still close to court and highly-respected.

She closed her eyes briefly in acceptance, throwing a docile smile in his direction.

"Of course my lord. Please, join me in the gardens. Our winter flowers are a delight for the eyes."

"Thank you, my lady. I have no doubt they are."

He threw her one long, indecipherable look that made her shiver, and walked away quietly. She let out a quiet breath, throwing a look at Kakashi, her trusted advisor that understood the importance of this encounter. He was gloomy, and returned her worry with melancholic grey eyes, like ash after a forest fire. Naruto was silent for once, and Sasuke had already walked away when she decided to follow Shinzo Akamatsu in the gardens.

* * *

The gardens were covered in a fine mantle of dew, and the air was icy, yet a bright sun was warming the back of the two silhouettes quietly walking in the privacy of the hidden paths. Many trees, used to the continental climate of the estate, still had some leaves hanging, floating in the frosty wind. Delicate hellebores were carefully arranged along the path, with colours ranging from pristine white to soft rose; a true delight for the eyes to see.

Sakura had a heavy crimson mantle thrown over her shoulders covering her robes to keep her warm, and, despite the fact that she was not sensitive to the cold in any way, she was glad for the extra cover of her shaking hands. Shinzo was by her side, with a fur-lined cape over his kimono, looking even more regal and imposing as earlier. The protection of the platform gone, their height difference was painfully obvious regardless of the delicate, ten centimetre lacquered sandals Sakura was wearing, making her steps painfully slow. Shizo did not mind, and fell into pace with her with no effort.

The conversation, despite her worries, had been very pleasant so far. Shinzo was a very likeable conversation partner, and even made her laugh quietly several times. He had a very large knowledge of flowers – she briefly remembered him being very close to the Yamanaka clan, back when they were not officially sided with Tsunade-hime and expelled from court alongside their sibling clans Akimichi and Nara.

They stopped in front of a flowering shrub of daphnes, delicate flowers blooming in a radiant pink. He took one in the palm of his hand with delicate attention, as if he was holding a little bird, and Sakura noticed without surprise that his hands were covered in pale scars – the hands of a warrior.

"These flowers are my favourite. Blooming before spring arrives, yet with such frail appearance. A beauty, with the heart of a warrior."

"They are my favourite in these gardens as well", Sakura mirrored with a compliant smile.

Still holding the flowers, Shinzo turned slightly to Sakura.

"Your father raised you very well. He would be proud to see you like this, fighting to keep this estate alive. I still remember him as if he passed yesterday. He was a great mentor and a dear friend. I miss him terribly."

Sakura looked at Shinzo for an instant, sweet green meeting sharp blue, before turning away, her gaze fixated on the flowers. She brought her pristine hands to the inside of her cape, pure white against blood crimson, to hold it tighter around her small figure in an instinctive gesture of comfort.

"And so do I. I was not supposed to be ever made heir of the estate, yet here I am, with a price on my head and the duties of a ruler. I wish he was still here, for guidance."

"You have some people around you you can trust, my lady. Hatake-san is truly devoted to you; and my clan has been your trusted ally for years now."

"Yet I hear that you do not trust my decisions? Pardon my bluntness my lord, but I thought you amongst all would've stood by my side."

Shinzo's look became worried, and piercing.

"Haruno-sama, you have to understand what perilous situation you are in. Sending this kind of message to Danzo could plunge us all into Civil War, and despite our true respect for your father's name, very few would follow his daughter into a bloody battle against their own shogun."

"What are you suggesting I should do then, Akamatsu-sama?" She replied in a clicked voice.

She turned to face him, her jade eyes shining with fear and anger and everything else she could not hide. She was 25, pushed into this political game she did not wish to pursue, surrounded from all sides, and tied up so tightly she did not see any issue out of the trap closing onto her. Shinzo let go of the flowers and gazed at her the way you admire a masterpiece. She didn't feel troubled by it at first, as his presence grew soothing. He was strong, powerful, and obviously trying to help in his own way. However, she perceived a shift in his eyes, like a dangerous slope, a shortfall of control. His large hand slowly approached her powdered face to graze at her cheek from the back of his fingers. He barely touched her, yet it was as if electricity had cursed through her body. She flinched just enough to made him stop, as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her crimson bow holding her hair at the small of her back jumped slightly as she inched backwards.

Shinzo let his hand slowly fall at his side, not flustered at all by the situation. He allowed a small, reassuring smile to grow on his lips before bowing faintly, as an excuse. He carried on, his gaze returning to the flowers in front of them.

"Lay low, show your respect to Danzo and proclaim your upmost devotion to his regime. Ask the Uchiha and the Uzumaki to go away, and pray for him to underestimate you and for his wrath to be appeased."

"Or?..."

"… Or ally with the most powerful clan of the land in such a display of wealth and power that he will not ever attempt to lay a hand on you."

Sakura was slowly understanding where he was getting at.

"We already are allies."

"I am not taking about a military alliance, Haruno-sama, and I think you grasp exactly what I am implying here", he said knowingly.

She took a time to breathe, peeling her look away from his clever ways and his cerulean eyes, to turn once again on the daphnes.

"I … will need some time to consult with my advisors", she finally replied.

"Of course."

"May I know why you are offering me this now?"

"I could argue that I am repaying the life-long debt I owe to your father. However, I think that we could find together everything we have been looking for: peace, protection, power, and a future. You became a strong woman, I can feel it. I hadn't see you in years, but your display of wit earlier was truly impressive. We could become the most powerful couple in the whole realm."

He paused, before adding enigmatically:

"Even more than Danzo himself. It would take time, and influence…"

"… But we could take him out, piece by piece", she concluded.

They both remained silent, like newfound partners, bound by their secret.

"You would?..."

"You are not the only one regretting Tsunade-dono reign. She was a good ruler. Many of us however, can not bear an open war. We are barely at peace, and it is precious."

Sakura kept silent, her mind racing. The offer was good, so good she was almost considering it. She was staring at the daphnes in front of her to hide her distress. Did Shinzo knew?... He seemed to be extremely perceptive, but she would've known if any information about her missions under Tsunade leaked to the mainland. The Akamatu's power however, should not be underestimated. Before she could answer him, Shinzo bowed deeply.

"I will take my leave and let you consider my proposition, my lady."

She acknowledged him with a small nod and accompanying smile. She followed his silhouette until he was out of sight, and, when the sliding door of the wooden pathway closed, she knew she was alone. She let out a long sigh and unclasped her mantle that kept her too warm, enjoying the shivers of her skin as the wind slipped in the folds of the heavy material of her ceremonial dress.

Her mind was still racing with the lord's proposition when she heard featherlike steps coming next to her. She breathed in, and all of a sudden the cold, sharp air smelled of burning wood, dust, soap and crushed berries. She knew that smell, the one of a man on the road, a warrior and a prince. His hand reached at the daphnes and snapped a little branch off right next to her.

"You heard?" she asked without looking.

"It is a good offer."

She abruptly turned to face the man beside her. He was looking at her with a clever smile hung to his lips, one she knew, hated, and adored. Her lips were pursed of everything she could not say but longed to, and he returned her look with the intensity of a man facing burning fire. They were standing in silence, the air heavy with unspoken certainties and missed opportunities. She felt a pull towards him, like her body craved his, with a strength stronger than the will of men and the course of the earth. The pull towards each other was like gravity, undeniable, unavoidable, unstoppable.

Sasuke looked at Sakura with raw hunger. She could see something, like a painful desire, a yearning that grew over the years. He did not move, however, and as she thought she was about to stop breathing from the intensity of his onyx eyes, he carried on.

"I did not say, however, that you should accept it."

His words were slow and carefully measured, and Sakura saw that somewhere behind the dust and the loneliness, the blood and the hate, the man and the warrior, there was a flicker for hope, for something. That spark, however, disappeared as soon as he looked down in his hands, rubbing the leaves of the daphnes branch he took earlier.

"I know why these are your favourite", he said after a minute.

She couldn't calm the erratic beatings of her heart, and part of her did not wish to. They were alone, and he was standing here, ravenous and open, deprived and exposed, and she could not stand the way he was playing at every string of her soul.

"Try me", she said in a trembling voice, keeping her jade orbs focused on the tip of his pale fingers.

He leaned in, and detached every syllable as if it was painful to stand so close.

"The daphnes …"

His hand shoot up in her hair – she didn't budge.

"… are a crucial ingredient for your favourite poison."

In a breath, he detached from her and left her there, trembling with every bone in her body, craving for a touch, for the graze of his fingers, burned in all the places he did not reach for.

He was far away when Satsuki arrived at her mistress' side still clutching for lucidity.

In her hair, a single daphne flower, the exact shade of her hair, was floating in her tresses like an unspoken request.

 _"_ _Remember."_

* * *

 _Oh hello there. Thank you so, so much for the reviews. I feel so supported for a first story ! You are the best._

 _Take care,_

 _xxx_


	4. A red ribbon

_Chapter 4 – A red ribbon_

 _"_ _A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life._ _»_

* * *

The night was long settled, the lords were having fun and the whole estate rumbled with laughter, yet Sakura could not stop her hands from shaking. She had taken a leave, letting, at her annoyance, the men to their talks and drinking games. She knew Kakashi and Naruto were insuring that her will was carried through the night, yet she had been reluctant to leave, way too aware that, as a woman, she did not belong there. `

No matter her titles, her power, or her wealth - she was excluded from these moments were everything untangled, and it made her mad.

She was in her study, sliding doors open to her private gardens, with a firm word no not be disturbed. She had let go of her ceremonial dresses and, for the first time since her arrival at the estate, allowed herself to be in more comfortable, informal clothes.

A plain grey kimono was covering her as a jacket, and she was wearing a black top and pants underneath. Her maids considered it to be a sleeping outfit, where she could already barely breathe. Her bare feet were balancing in the air, enjoying the sensation of wind and the freedom of not being tangled up in tiny lacquered shoes.

Her long hair was left flowing for once, and her crimson tie was holding only a small section of her tresses on top of her head in a loose ponytail. She downed her glass of shochu in one swift gulp, enjoying the roughness of the alcohol Naruto had smuggled in for her, while reading some diplomatic scrolls.

She was annoyed, she kept telling herself. It explained everything: her shaking, and the unsettling sensation in her stomach. It was not fear, nor apprehension. She had to trust that everything would settle as planned, that the lords would fall behind her and unite against Danzo.

In moments like this, she missed her mentor terribly. How she wished to send her a message, asking for guidance! Tsunade however, had been clear: no contact until the situation was settled. She couldn't afford to loose how little of influence she had now by being associated with Tsunade, still seen in court as a traitor and an enemy of the shogun. Her frail appearance and her position as a wealthy daughter saved her, and allowed her to pose as exactly what everyone expected her to be: a pawn, a doll, a mere girl with no experience.

At this thought, she snorted and poured herself another glass. It was probably for the best.

Just like Naruto or Sasuke, she was sent to Sakumo's estate for tutelage at age 10. For girls however, the trainings were very different. If they were taught the basics of fighting, and mostly with a spear, the instructors were quick to lock them indoors with protocol teachers and ikebana arrangements. They were taught how to obey, bow, and procreate without a noise, and that was it.

Back then, she craved the sensation of a sword in between her hands just as much as she wished she was born a boy.

So she escaped, running away in secret and befriending Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi, a little more older than them, who acted as a chaperon of sorts. With Naruto, she perfected how to fight bare-handed. With Kakashi, she was taught the mastery of the samurai sword. And with Sasuke ...

She took a sip of alcohol. The burning sensation came back, and invaded her whole - it was probably the alcohol, she stammered. Despite herself, and her self control, she was invaded all of a sudden with memories of a young man, powerful, caring and proud.

Everything, before that night, was so simple.

* * *

 _Ten years ago_

 _"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaan", a young man whined. "Wait up!"_

 _"What, too hard to follow a girl, Naruto? Hurry, I don't want to miss it!"_

 _"If you two carry on with your yelling, we will get caught before we can even get there", an other man running beside them scolded._

 _The three of them were all clad in black, with matching hoods. They were swift as shadows, blending in the dark around them, the moonlight being the only source of light beaming on the rich estate. They looked like mischievous spirits, jumping and running around without a noise._

 _"Sasuke-kun, we know you are as eager as us to see if Kakashi is as good as they say."_

 _"Oh, no more « sensei » now?" Naruto interjected in a teasing voice._

 _Sakura stopped suddenly in the shadow of a giant tree near the surrounding wall. Both of her friends halted, falling in step behind her. Her words were barely audible, a soft whisper._

 _"I will be gone in a week, so titles like sensei and student won't matter anymore, you know."_

 _All of her small figure, including her bright hair, was clad in black. Her jade orbs, however, were shining in the beams of the moon, and the two boys couldn't look away. She observed them both, so handsome and powerful, at the cusp of adulthood, yet so close to the childhood they shared. She wanted to cry so badly, and hug them tightly. This is where all of their littles games stopped. No more late-night talks and undercover trainings, no more games of hide-and-seek with the instructors, no more lessons for her and no more of her ringing laughter to their ears._

 _The three of them grew up, and from boys and girl they were turning into men and woman; and women in this world had a specific purpose to fill._

 _She was to be sent to another estate to « perfect her instruction » and meet her future husband. He was a rich, fine man, and not too old apparently, she was lucky. She was, after all, of rare exotic beauty, and her father insured she would be traded at the highest value. Their marriage would bring great stability to the estate of her father's, and she was going to fulfil her role as dictated. It was all she was, despite the words of her father, despite his carefulness: a very precious object, a political pawn and a sweet little doll sent, as all noble women before her, to a man she didn't know. It would take a year, or two, but the three of them knew that when their paths would cross again, she would probably not go by the name Haruno again._

 _Silence fell, heavy as a mountain above them. She could feel her throat constrict and couldn't bear to look at them. Naruto's eyes were watering, and Sakura felt the scorching heat of two black orbs caress her entire form. It felt as intense as if if was trailing a path on her body with his thin, soft lips, leaving a trail on her that as branding her his, forever. None of them budged, and when she found the strength to grasp Naruto's hand and meet Sasuke's eyes, she found something there, something raw and heart-breaking, pure and unwavering._

 _"Stop it, or you are going to make me cry", she managed to whisper in a strangled voice._

 _Naruto, all of a sudden, jumped to hug her tightly. His arms were so big, warm and comforting, the strength of a man and the innocence of a child, she thought for a moment._

 _"Please Sa-don't go. We will find a way. I'll talk to my father. You can't be taken away from us. You don't know that guy, he could be a creep. You are better here with us."_

 _His voice was a strangled whisper against her shoulder, and she returned his embrace with warmth. They both knew his father couldn't do much. Naruto was promised to a beautiful princess he had yet to meet, from a clan hidden in the mountains, and General Namikaze couldn't go against Sakura's father simply on a whim. Kizaishi was a negotiator, they had to be an alternative for him that would be interesting enough. Despite his power, and gentleness, there was not much he could offer._

 _She hugged him tightly one last time before letting go and stepping back. Sasuke's eyes were all over her again, but he had yet to say a word. She turned her back to them so they couldn't see the glimpse of her tears. She exhaled._

 _"Let's go. It would be a shame to miss the ceremony after all the trouble we went through."_

 _Naruto nodded and lurched forward, overtaking her and disappearing in the shadows. She was about to follow him when a soft pressure on her hand stopped her dead in her tracks._

 _She slowly turned to see Sasuke's intense gaze trailing all over her face. There he was, vulnerable, open, hesitant, like he always had been around her. She felt her heart jumping almost painfully against her ribcage, enthralled by his eyes the looks of him, all dark and ivory under the moonlight._

 _"Later", he said simply._

 _She nodded timidly, and he pressed her fingers lightly between his, like a butterfly's kiss. Heat rose to her face, but she turned away from his grasp. Those treacherous eyes burning her and making her crave for something she couldn't yet name would be the death of her, she knew. She wouldn't dare to imagine the taste of his lips on her skin, yet they both knew the sweet, innocent infatuation they shared as children had grew into something magnetic, impossible to equate or grasp in its frightening entirety._

 _They both disappeared in the shadows, catching up to Naruto in a silent, swift stride. They said nothing, but the silence between them echoed of future promises and something irremediably shifting._

 _The three apprentices arrived at the top of a hill, concealed as planned in the thick foliage around them. They were overlooking a clearing, at the bottom of a high slope, lit by torches in a wide circle. The moon was high and clear, and despite the shadows, it was clear enough to see all of the silhouettes in the circle of torches. They were not recognisable, wearing white masks painted in various shapes and colours, representing animals, but they knew who to look for._

 _"There he is!"_

 _Naruto hushed at his two friends while slamming his fist in Sasuke's arm. The latter glared but said nothing as they spotted a tall, thin figure in a white dog mask, bare of any paint or decoration._

 _He was on his knees, no training katana at his side, no armour on, all clad in black in a similar training outfit as them three, curious pair of eyes in the dark. They were attentive, contemplating in the distance with apprehension at what was about to unravel._

 _It was the most important moment a samurai apprentice would go through - the genpachu. Boys and girls would go through this crucial ceremony establishing them as adults and warriors but there were different variants for each. Girls' ceremonies were public, a huge display of beauty and grace, concluded by a traditional dance in front of a selected audience, including, very often, their future prospect husbands. Boys' however were more secretive, and if the official coming of age celebration was during the day, shown as a parade for all to see, some were saying that the finest warriors had to go through a clandestine trial, in the middle of the night, to assess their skills. The content of this trial however, was unknown and kept under a thick layer of ancient mysteries._

 _It was rooted in tradition, raw and unaltered for centuries - and tonight, it was Kakashi's turn, and for their eyes only to see._

 _The thump of drums echoed in the mountain around them. Their source was there, in the crook of this hill, and was echoing in their ribcages as if themselves were music instruments carrying its rhythm. Slowly, the black silhouettes started to turn around Kakashi, holding torches and moving in in the same wave of shadows, dark and light combined. The thumping of the drums had gained in intensity to reach a rhythm echoing in their heads and hearts. What was about to happen next?_

 _All of a sudden, one of the torch bearers, with a crow mask, silently slid a katana blade out of its sheath, shining in the beams of the moon. The other followed, and soon Kakashi's silhouette was surrounded by gleaming katana blades. They attacked at what seemed to be the same moment, the sound of the drums making all other noise disappear under roars and thunder. The three teenagers held a gasp as they saw a storm of katanas aiming at Kakashi. He was not going to be able to avoid them, he was ..._

 _He blurred out of sight. The blades stroke the grass, and Kakashi's silhouette appeared behind a man with a lion mask. Still unarmed, he stroked the side of his palm to his neck, making the man fall down. All other silhouettes carried on with what soon became relentless attacks, not sparing him any time to think. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto were watching anxiously, but Kakashi's figure was easily avoiding the blows, almost like dancing between the blades. It was gracious, and lethal, and every time he was touching one of the silhouettes, it fell down as if struck by lightening. Soon there was only three of them, the man in a crow mask and another figure in a wolf one facing Kakashi, still standing, without any blade._

 _They started to turn around each other, the drums still banging in their heads and pounding against the hill as strong as the heartbeat of earth itself. Torches were still lit around their little arena, making shadows and figures falter and sway in sensual waves, following the wind._

 _Suddenly the man in a wolf mask stepped in, katana shining in front of Kakashi. One of his hands stroke gently the blade as he stepped aside the man, who let go of the weapon in a yelp of pain._

 _The three observers were curious. Kakashi didn't touch him -yet. How comes?..._

 _Kakashi's second hand fell on the man shoulder and he went limp. Such a technique was impressive, as the first enemies were barely getting up only now. Sakura looked intently at Kakashi - it was discreet, full of grace, almost feminine, yet concealed so much raw power she felt her insides burning with envy - what was that technique? Was it the famous Hatake combat form passed by generations of warriors? She was so envious - how she wished to be born a boy, in a family of fighters! The Haruno were good combatants, and very wealthy, but some clans, very ancient, had something else to them. Techniques passed in the most absolute secrecy, ensuring their victory on the battlefield and their upmost superiority. Blood traits that looked like magic -and were guarded as such._

 _Kakashi took the Wolf's blade to challenge the Crow. They were facing, and the drums fell silent. The wind was blowing and howling between the two opponents, and Kakashi stroke the blade one more time, whispering something carried away by the furious wind. Suddenly, under their eyes, the blade turned into a beautiful shade of blue, grey and white, sizzling with raw energy and light. It felt like he had thunder in the palm of his hand, and the hill got filled with the sounds of a thousand chirping birds. They gasped. It was going to be the final assault._

 _Both men lurched towards each other, blades in hand, Crow's one black as the night's sky. In one swift move, they passed each other, and stopped. Both were standing, yet, after a few second during which they all held their breath, Crow faltered. His hand rose to his shoulder, and came out bloody; he let go of his sword in sign of resignation._

 _Naruto took Sakura's hand and Sasuke's shoulder and squeezed them so tightly they gritted their teeth to not either yelp in pain or at the boy. The drums got back on a triumphant rhythm, and all removed their masks to uncover familiar, rejoicing faces - Kakashi had succeeded!_

 _Crow took off his mask to reveal a smiling, yet distant Itachi Uchiha. It was Sasuke's older brother, younger than Kakashi yet already one, if not the best, warrior of his generation. It was tradition that the genpachu was to be carried when the head of clan deemed necessary, and Sasuke's clan -the Uchiha, known for their mysterious combat techniques and their supreme mystery of the art of war, were used to make their youth undertake genpachu very early. It was both to assess their strength and install their supremacy on other clans. It was an ancient, very noble, rich and respected clan._

 _Sakura shot a look at Sasuke; his trial was to be conducted next week, after hers, even if he was not expected to leave Sakumo's estate just yet. She knew for a fact that he highly respected and loved his big brother, but living in the shadow of such a warrior while being the cadet son of the clan's head had to be difficult. Sasuke was an incredible warrior, from the glimpses of what she saw, and he trained extremely hard, yet she suspected he was not near the level of mastery his older brother displayed. For Kakashi to manage to strike a blow was incredible -but Itachi was probably holding back._

 _Kakashi, on the other hand, had taken his genpachu relatively late. She knew - he told her once, as they were finishing their training with a glass of sneaked shochu- it was because his father wanted him to meddle with the younger generation for as long as possible. There was a dark patch in Kakashi's past, one that would probably explain the scar on his left eye and the fact that very little of his age class were still alive, but he would always brush it off with feigned indolence. Sakura knew there was something else - and she knew better than trouble him with asking. He was an incredible warrior, and they just witnessed the proof of it tonight. So much mystery clouded him, like a mantle of secrets. He would be an amazing instructor, and a great clan leader, when the time would come, she knew._

 _The three friends ran away in the dark when they got the occasion, cheeks flushed red with adrenaline and exhilaration. They talked excitedly of what they saw near the girls' quarters, in the shadows of a willow tree until the sun started to stretch its light in the mountains at the eastern border of the estate. Naruto yawned and grabbed Sasuke by the kimono -the latter being quick to slap his hand away- to drag them both away from a smiling Sakura. The blond waved at the girl and took off without looking if Sasuke would follow - she suspected it was to give her and Sasuke a few moments alone. Did the two of them talked about what was unravelling between them? There was room for wonder. However, how to talk about looks and unspoken promises, sighs and missed opportunities?_

 _Sasuke took her hand, and Sakura, all of a sudden, felt like the world around her was dissolving. There it was, her only haven from all she wanted to avoid, from her future, from her life. He had this mysterious power to him, to turn the embracing falling branches of a willow tree into a shelter, the light of the rising sun starting to turn shadows into reality. Dusk dancing in the boy's eyes however, was warm and enticing, swirling like dancers around a high fire. They remained silent for a while before, without letting go of her hand he had firmly in his, Sasuke started:_

 _"I ... will talk to father."_

 _"There is nothing you can do, you know."_

 _Her voice was soft but the edges were breaking._

 _"I am to marry lord Asano and your father cannot offer much that would top that proposal. It is a great honour, and a great clan, I..."_

 _"Marriage with an Uchiwa would top that offer by far", Sasuke snorted a bit too fast._

 _Sakura gasped and looked at him with wide, doe-like eyes. Was he?... Sasuke looked away for a moment, the shadows still hiding the light colour in his cheeks._

 _"Are you?..."_

 _"I will talk to father."_

 _Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sasuke was probably talking about someone else, one of his many cousins, probably. He was meant to marry Asami, a lovely Uchiwa from a lower branch of the clan, who was set to pass her genpachu the same day as Sakura. She was a wonder to the eyes, all sombre hair and porcelain skin, soft smiles and dutiful beauty. She was going to be a perfect spouse and matriarch of the clan, her and Sasuke being very well accorded._

 _When she decided to align her eyes to Sasuke's, he was looking at her with such intensity she felt like she was burning from the inside._

 _He retracted in the shadows, letting his hand slide away from hers with excruciating slowness. He then directed his eyes to her hand expectantly, and when she looked down, a superb crimson ribbon was folded in the crook of her palm. She felt her heart lurch in her chest and water coming to her eyes. Her free hand shot to her mouth to smother a soft cry. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the ribbon._

 _"It is ..." she started in a strangled whisper._

 _She knew exactly what is was, as Sasuke once told her smugly that his mother was still wearing hers around her wrist, given by her father. An Uchiha promise ribbon. Of the same colour as their clan emblem, it was to be given between promised lovers, meaning to embody the unbreakable bond between two souls and destinies. It was very secret, and rare, even within the clan. The Uchiha treasured loved deeply, and Sakura thought that it was why they were the fiercest at war: they were willing to burn everything to the ground in order to protect what was dear to them._

 _"At your trial. Wear it", Sasuke whispered._

 _Tears were now pooling freely on her cheeks without her being able to control anything._

 _"It is... It is ..." she desperately tried to articulate._

 _His thumb went to capture a tear from her cheek, burning her everywhere in its wake. He stroked her face gently, and for a fleeting moment, allowed himself to smile._

 _"Wear it. They will know."_

 _"Sasuke, you ..."_

 _"I will talk to father."_

 _Without a word but one lingering look, he left her under the willow tree, chasing the last shadows of the rising morning._

 _"Thank you..." she whispered to his fleeting silhouette, not sure if he heard her._

 _It took her minutes to calm her hitched breath, wipe away the remaining tears and come back quietly to her quarters as the estate was coming alive._

 _One week was going to be a long wait._

* * *

The sound of rustling material at her side made her smile softly. Of course, it had to be him. After all, ghosts of the past always came together. She took one hungry breath, letting herself be invaded with the familiar smell of burning wood, dust, soap and crushed berries.

Without acknowledging the last Uchiha, she poured another glass for him, between them, and refilled hers. He sat down at her side in a respectful distance, his katana discarded by his left side. They sat in a comfortable silence, drinking regularly. Laughter and music echoed in the distance.

"So, I get that you didn't wish to take part in the festivities", she started.

He didn't answer with anything but a short, cold laugh.

"You could've been surprised to what they had to say to you."

"They have nothing to say to me."

"Yet, it's not very good for your image."

"I don't care."

"I do."

She looked at him for the first time since he sat beside her.

"You realise how badly I need these alliances, right?"

"..Do you?"

She shot him an inquisitive look, as he downed another gulp from his glass. She let her eyes trail on the edge of his throat for a fleeting second as the alcohol went down, but was quick to go back to scolding him.

"I need an army, and more importantly I need political protection."

"Well, if it's political leverage you are looking for, you have Shinzo Akamatsu", he shot in a gloomy voice.

She raised an eyebrow at his remark, then sighed as she returned to her glass.

"I do indeed. As you said, it is a good offer."

He stayed silent for a while, staring at the garden in the dark. She took this moment to look at him, all chiselled jaw and dark hair, brooding looks and nobility. He turned to look at her, and their eyes met with sizzling intensity. It was like always, between the two of them; like a tide taking everything on its wake, like two planets colliding. She felt carried away, when he looked at her like this, like there was nothing else but the two of them, no war, no past, only their untangled paths that kept crashing into each other, again and again.

"Why did you give me this ribbon?"

Her voice was soft, and for a fleeting moment Sasuke saw a young girl standing next to him, all grace and innocence. Part of him didn't want to answer her question, and let that unsullied memory linger here, in-between two worlds.

"You know why."

The fleeting image vanished. Sakura was standing here, all radiating beauty, anger, and regrets, and he couldn't bear to carry on. He never did, never could, and thought some things were better left unsaid. It had been their punishment, this attraction, their curse, this unbearable desire. It was like walls kept building in front of them, to keep them apart. Every step closer was a push further.

He deserved no better, he thought. No better than watching her belonging to someone else while knowing their hearts were connected, their souls promised. He gave her that ribbon as a hopeless teenager not fully understanding the meaning of his actions, and what was about to unravel. It was all part of a survivor's burden, he thought, to watch the very last thing he ached for ripped away from him every time he reached closer. He deserved no better, he repeated to himself. And he had to carry the weight of this curse alone.

"I was trying to help you."

* * *

 _Ten years ago, a week later_

 _He wanted her to be his._

 _Sasuke was sitting in the front row, next to his mother, his father on the other side with his brother. The whole room was kept in a carefully-arranged half-light, and, while musicians were tuning their instruments, conversations were carried between the attendants in whispers and murmurs. Heavy drapes of crimson and gold were arranged around the walls to conceal the back of a large wooden platform, where the two girls supposed to dance for their genpachu were waiting._

 _He was trying to imagine was Sakura was looking like, feeling like. Boys' genpachu were harsh and violent, but this was another form of violence, much subtler. They were, at the cusp of adulthood, branded and marked as women, raised on a platform to be sold into marriage. It was all concealed behind tradition, grace and skill, but it was a forced spectacle of the only values they were supposed to display: beauty and obedience. They were not allowed a slip-up, not allowed to squirm or trip or fail: it was perfection or nothing, or their worth would be chipped._

 _Looking around the platform, Sasuke saw only men in the first row, except for the clan leaders. They were all middle-aged, wealthy nobodies with a taste for young skin, and Sasuke wanted nothing more in that instant that to rip their smug little faces apart. He saw Naruto's face, on the second row, next to his father and mother, who was –no so discreetly- waving at him. He glared at his friend in order to not display any of the relief he felt: he was not alone. His genpachu was for tomorrow night, and he knew his father had great expectations. He could not, however, prevent himself from feeling incredibly nervous._

 _Would his parents notice the ribbon? What were they going to say? And more importantly:_

 _Was she going to wear it?_

 _Music started as the first girl walked into the stage, face concealed by two large fans. She was wearing a delicate midnight blue ceremonial dress with golden trimmings and sleeves, the fans of Uchiha colour. Asami._

 _His mother turned slightly to him with a warm smile, probably mistaking his nervousness about Sakura for Asami's appearance. He fixed his eyes somewhere on the tiny, perfect feet at the bottom of the platform, and tried to appear as detached and calm as possible._

 _The dance ended before he could notice it, and Mikoto leaned on his son to whisper:_

 _"She is beautiful, isn't she?"_

 _Sasuke avoided her look and answered in a grumble, which Mikoto interpreted once again as shyness. She put her hand on his son's lap with tenderness._

 _"Are you okay my love?"_

 _He couldn't bear to lie to his mother amongst all people, and turned to look at her, transparent of all the nervousness, despair, fear and apprehension he was facing. She frowned, suddenly worried, but before she was about to speak, music started again to announce the second girl._

 _Sasuke's eyes immediately jolted to the platform where a slender silhouette was standing, concealed by two green fans, in a gold and white kimono. He reached for his mom's hand on his lap, and squeezed lightly as Sakura's perfect, trembling pale hands lowered to reveal her face to everyone. Sasuke's breath hitched at the same time as everyone in the room._

 _She was gorgeous, face painted in a way no one ever saw her, rich crimson lips and jade eyes, white pearls and golden jewellery all over her tresses left half flowing in her back. He could feel everything in her expressive eyes: her fear, her apprehension, and her iron will to amaze. She lowered slightly and started to dance in rhythm, in a slow manner that let light caress her body. He couldn't see if she was wearing the ribbon, as she was directly facing him, but he was captivated by the slight movement of her small wrists, the wave of the green fans, the low tilt of her head making her hairdo tint and shine._

 _All of a sudden, she started to dance in bigger movements, moving her feet to cover more of the platform, the music growing louder. Her gestures became more sensual, animated with raw energy and passion, and as the sound of the shamisen answered to this increase in intensity in Sakura's movements, all the room was hung to her. She seemed oblivious to what was going around her, to all the men in the front row appreciatively judging her, and left herself consume by the music she heard and the dance she practiced for so long._

 _Her performance soon reached her crescendo, and, at the apex of her dance, she gracefully fell into her finishing pose, fans opened around her face, looking at the side of the room. Suddenly, Sasuke saw, as everyone gasped slightly._

 _A crimson ribbon was attached in her tresses, at the back of her head, holding her golden hairdo and her hair in place. His ribbon._

 _He felt like his heart had lurched painfully. Naruto threw a triumphant grin at his best friend from the second row, as the lords in the front were perplexed. One among them, slightly younger, and of extremely wealthy appearance, threw a questioning look to Kizaishi Haruno, who looked livid._

" _Yes", Sasuke whispered to his mother._

 _Her hand squeezed his slightly, and, as he rose to face her look, he only found the adoration of a mother, and hints of amusement in her black orbs so similar to his._

" _Oh my love", she only answered in a murmur._

 _Sasuke looked back on the stage, where Sakura was standing in pose, and her jade eyes connected to his in a jolt that made him shiver._

 _She was terrified, excited, petrified, just like him._

 _But she was his._

* * *

Sakura laughed bitterly, dragging her and Sasuke away from memories of other times.

"You are not a very good liar, you know."

She sighed softly.

"But I couldn't blame you. After everything that happened … It makes you think back, doesn't it?"

She poured herself another glass. The bottle was almost empty, and her cheeks tainted in a lovely shade of pink.

"Did you wish you never gave it to me?"

Sasuke finished his glass before setting it down beside him. He turned to look at her, and her insides twisted almost painfully. That man! How could he be so distant yet so close, say so much without opening his mouth? She couldn't bear to look at him, to stay so close, yet not touch, she was craving ghosts from another lifetime, shadows of his touches, hints of his lips, flickers of his eyes. He was bearing so much, she knew, he was hating her and loving her so much, she knew.

Because the night she danced with that ribbon in her hair, was the night his entire family died.

She could still hear the screaming, and the pain, remembered being shoved away with the other girls, remembered him leaving her ten years ago, under that same willow tree, with a crushing, despaired kiss goodbye and her tears pooling down his face and neck. They were fifteen, and thought they would never see each other again.

He shot a hand to trail his fingers between her pink tresses, and stopped at the crimson tie holding them still. She could feel the conflict in his eyes, the way he frowned and battled with everything that was so bottled up inside of him.

"How could I?" he finally answered, his voice a broken whisper.

* * *

 _Hey there. I made you wait, but this one is twice as long. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Thank you again for your reviews, I read them with care and they fill my heart with absolute joy._

 _See you around xx_


	5. Not even for you

Chapter 5 – Not even for you

 _"_ _One may know how to conquer without being able to do it."_

* * *

Sakura thought for a moment that her heart had paused, caught in between two fleeting seconds. Time itself had stopped to draw a breath, as the maiden felt Sasuke's fingers caught in her red ribbon. He was looking at her with the devastating force brought by years of pent-up sorrow, and she could feel him tremble against her hair. His large hand was nearly embracing her whole head, and from there, she could see the thousand scars on his alabaster skin, engraved like a narrative of the man he had to become.

She was used to his stone-cold exterior, but as he appeared in this moment, it felt like the young man who left her all these years ago was fighting his way back to her. His black orbs were trailing all over her, her face, her ribbon, and stopped for an instant on her forehead, before settling for her jade eyes.

Maybe it was the alcohol – after all, she was not a fragile, impressionable young girl anymore, but she felt heat rising to her face, colouring her cheeks and her neck. She was being inflamed from within, burned alive from the desire of him she could not contain any longer. Her lips parted, her breath hitched, and all of a sudden Sasuke could not look away. The ends of his fingers closed on her tresses, as a reflex, and his whole body stiffened.

He could see her, open, wanting, his.

"Why?" he simply whispered.

It was Sakura's turn to get tainted by the shadows of sorrow. She looked at him, all so flawed and perfect in every single way, and drew him one of the saddest smiles he had ever seen on her. It was the same, he recognised. The same as three years ago. The reluctant acknowledgement that she had lived to see way too many things, had to undergo through too many traumatizing events to be in front of him today.

He had, in a way, the answer even before she spoke, carefully, her voice as soft as the sound of rain.

"How couldn't I?..."

She lifted her hand, carefully, slowly, as if she was approaching a wild animal, to surround his. When their skins touched, a warm feeling flooded the Ronin. It was like a homecoming, a pledge for more. Her beautiful, pale, delicate hand resting on his as if it had always belonged there, her fingers intertwined in his and the crimson tie draped in between them. She was, despite everything, still his, the same way he was irremediably hers.

A flicker, like a dance of shadows, surfaced in his eyes. He seemed to be struggling with much more he was ready to concede. Without warning, he removed his hand as if burned by her touch. Sakura brought hers back to her lap, peeled her eyes away from him with infinite sadness and settled to look at the gardens once more. Sasuke's eyes remained focused on the maiden's features, silent for a while.

"Why do you hide it?" he asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"Your seal."

Sakura lifted her hand to her forehead, where her biggest pride, the beacon and testimony of her accomplishments was concealed, flawlessly buried under layers of powders and creams by her maidens every morning.

"No one can know", she finally whispered. "Not yet."

The first time she had seen such an ornament was the day she met Tsunade-hime, shining and glowing with power and pride, and back then she thought she had never encountered anything more magnificent. It only fuelled the legends she heard about the woman, who was rumoured to be both the most beautiful and powerful female across the Fire nation. Soon enough, Sakura had begged her to take her under her tutelage, and soon enough came the day where she accepted.

That day, she walked away from her previous life without thinking twice.

* * *

 _Three years ago_

 _The rebellion basecamp was traversed by the coldest mountain wind. It was night, and all of the men and women were either in their quarters or in the common room. All lights were forbidden outside, but, concealed under layers of fabric and animal skin was an opening leading to a cave, the smallest glint of light piercing through: it was all Sakura needed to orient herself. She paced silently in what looked like an abandoned village to the untrained eye. This place however, was of the highest importance for them. Hung to the side of the one of the highest peaks of the outer region, it was a location from which all could be coordinated, their men knowing the paths in the mountains better than anyone to better strike, retreat and ambush. She was never staying for too long at the same place, following Tsunade-hime in all her footsteps and had arrived this morning, bloody and battered. They had just won a major battle against Danzo's forces, where Sakura had just awakened her seal, and Tsunade had invited her that night to celebrate after a much needed bath and nap. She was so proud of who she became, how all her years of training under the ruthless instructor in the toughest conditions had finally made her a woman to be reckoned with._

 _When she managed to go through the cloths, then the guards, she opened a makeshift door in the hard stone and music flew to her ears. It was joyful, and sparkling, many people drinking and celebrating with their leader one of their greatest victories. Tsunade-hime was at the centre of the room, her friend Shizune by her side. Her roaring laughter echoed against the large walls of the cavern, lit by torches on the ceiling and the walls. Tables were scattered all across the space, big groups of people chanting, dancing and drinking altogether. Sakura smiled softly. It felt so heart-warming._

 _Naruto was here also, stationed in this basecamp, and currently trying to out-stage Tsunade by drinking more than her, what Sakura knew to be a terrible idea. As soon as she approached their table surrounded by curious and cheerful soldiers, the young man got on his wobbly feet to throw himself at Sakura._

 _"_ _Sakra-chaaaan", he slurred. "S'pleasure to see you. Y'so pretty tonight. Do you... wear perfume or sm'thing?"_

 _He reeked of alcohol but his hug was so tight and warming she let him, patting his back with her only free hand. She was happy to see him, even more after the incredible show of raw power he displayed on the battlefield earlier. His sword had been gleaming of the rays of a thousand suns and, when he had led the attacks on one of Danzo's battalions, he had looked like a wild animal, a fox-god striking and fuelling his allies with untamed energy. Sakura knew that the years after his parent's death the same night as the Uchihas had been rough to him, but heard he trained by the side of Tsunade's best friend, Jiraya-sama, and the training had paid off. The latter was in a corner of the room, telling tales while drinking sake and hitting on every female that came close to him. It was funny to see how, despite multiple rejections, he kept his hopes high – and Tsunade in a corner of his eye._

 _After a few seconds, she gently detached herself from Naruto and hit him on the shoulder._

 _"_ _You know you stand no chance against Tsunade-hime, right?"_

 _"_ _Come on, let him try!" The Princess laughed._

 _Tsunade had laughed lightly, downing another glass of Sake under Shizune's worried look._

 _"_ _Tsunade-sama, he is the hero of the hour, he should try not to ridicule himself less than 24 hours after the battle! No matter how amusing", Shizune interfered, without however lifting a single finger._

 _"_ _M'fine, Sakura. I can… I c'beat the Princess this time!"_

 _"_ _You hear him? He is asking for more!" Tsunade exclaimed, raising her glass._

 _The audience roared in laughter alongside Tsunade. Sakura shook her head, taking Naruto by the shoulder to seat him a little bit away from the crowd._

 _"_ _As his doctor, and friend, I will not let a grown man soil his pants in front of an audience."_

 _Her comment had been cheerful under the concern, and Tsunade let her go with a wave of the hand._

 _"_ _Come back to me when you are done with him! We need to celebrate together" Tsunade yelled at the girl as she was dragging her friend away._

 _Right after Sakura bedded an already sleeping Naruto, she came back to her mentor and sat down in front of her. The crowd had dissipated, drinking and talking in smaller groups, and the three women were finally able to enjoy a drink together._

 _"_ _I can't believe we finally managed to take the western side of the mountain", Shizune started._

 _"_ _It was a close call, but this time, they shouldn't come back", Tsunade answered._

 _Shizune snickered before taking another sip of her drink._

 _"_ _Not after the beating we put them through", she laughed smugly._

 _Tsunade suddenly looked at Sakura and put gently her hand on top of the young woman's._

 _"_ _I know it was your first time on the battlefield since the battle of Awazu, and lord Asano. I am very proud of you. You did amazing."_

 _Sakura, unsettled at first with the resurgence of unpleasant memories, soon felt her heart warming up to her mentor's words. Shizune was looking at her as well with warmth, and she could fill her whole body radiating with pride and happiness._

 _"_ _When I got you under my tutelage, I told you that you would never need to use a sword ever again, if you wished against it. After all, you have learned everything Shizune and I know about medicinal techniques, and you possess the same gift of healing we do. It is rare, and precious. If you wanted to, you could have never stepped on a battlefield ever again."_

 _The woman stopped, then touched lightly Sakura's seal, mirroring hers._

 _"_ _I am incredibly relieved you decided against it and joined us. You are a fine warrior, and this is here to prove it."_

 _Sakura quickly wiped a tear that was appearing at the corner of her eye, not knowing what to say. Praise was rare coming from Tsunade-hime, but it made it so precious she was hit at full force with its meaning. She barely managed to speak, her throat constricted by emotion._

 _"_ _I am … so grateful our paths have joined, Tsunade-hime, and you too, Shizune-san. Thank you so much, for... everything."_

 _The three woman looked at each other without saying much, afraid to break the moment – or burst into tears. Tsunade finally poured three glasses and grumbled something about sentimentalism before making her two apprentices down them. The three women carried on talking and drinking happily for hours, until much later that night._

 _The room was now almost empty, except a small group talking in the same fashion as them, and a couple kissing in a dimly-lit corner. Sakura's eyes trailed towards them, but, before her heart could constrict at the blurry, messy, and already passing memory of an old kiss, she looked away. Tsunade and Shizune were talking about military operations in the outer rim, but she wasn't paying attention. Her mind, a little clouded by alcohol – she had a good teacher on the matter, but the night had been long- was wandering, as always. She was thinking about Naruto, about her friend Ino as well, who had just left as the Yamanaka clan was off to secure the northern border of their territory, about many things, in fact. What was Kakashi doing? Last time she saw him was less than a year ago, when Tsunade requested Sakura to be permanently at her side._

 _That morning, she saw everything in the worried look of the man – how funny it was, that he was always concealing his emotions behind a mask, but to the attentive spirit, he was as easy to read as the books he liked to carry around. She saw esteem, apprehension, and a craving she had never identified before, something she could not pinpoint. He knew that, the same way she disappeared nearly two years after the Uchiha massacre, she was not coming back. She hoped he found tutelage and a good position near her father and brother. That night had been rough on everyone – Kakashi's father had killed himself a couple days after that dreadful night, full of shame he could not protect and defend the Uchiha clan, coming as guests and friends, against an enemy that was not identified._

 _The Uchiha… Sakura felt her heart twist painfully. She had not allowed herself to think about Sasuke in a long time, but he seemed to always come back to her. What was he doing now? What was he looking like now? Was he even alive? He had to be. Tracked down by pretty much everyone, the two Uchiha brothers were nowhere to be found. Itachi had been portrayed by Danzo – and all official sources - as the perpetrator of the massacre, but Tsunade had told her once she didn't buy it. Sakura agreed – there had to be more to it._

 _"…_ _dyou think, Sakura?"_

 _The young woman snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her name. Tsunade and Shizune were looking at her expectantly, and she felt suddenly embarrassed for getting carried away in thoughts. Seeing her fumble and try to talk her way out of it, Shizune let a soft laugh escape her_

 _"_ _Ahh, caught in a daydream again. We are all exhausted, after that battle."_

 _"_ _Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I will take my leave, I am indeed completely exhausted", Sakura said rising up._

 _"_ _Sakura, wait up", Tsunade interrupted._

 _The young girl stopped her motion to consider her mentor in front of her. Despite the redness of her cheeks and the sweat glistering on her skin from the drinking, she looked dead serious. The woman gestured her to sit down, and let out a sigh._

 _"_ _I have a mission for you. Your first solo."_

 _Sakura's eyes widened, but she kept silent, paying close attention to what was about to unravel._

 _"_ _We have a contact, in the outer rim. He has been helping us taking down a war lord supplementing Danzo with ammunitions, weapons, and men, amongst everything. He is working from the inside, reporting to us in a very specific schedule. We lost contact with him a month ago and think he might have been compromised."_

 _Sakura's mind was racing._

 _"_ _Which war lord are we talking about?"_

 _"_ _The Snake", Tsunade let out dreadfully._

 _The young girl felt shivers running down her spine. The Snake was one of the cruellest men she knew. He dealt in pretty much everything shady and immoral: human trafficking, weapons, assassinations, torture. He was outside the borders of the Fire Country, thus let unbothered to his vile hobbies. Fire country's position was always to condemn his actions, but if his association with Danzo were to be known, it could be a decisive asset into winning the nation back. Sakura knew how important that mission was – and realizing that they lost their only contact there was a frightful thought._

 _"_ _I see. What is expected of me then"?_

 _"_ _He was supposed to steal scrolls, or copy them, that were attesting of the trade agreement between Danzo and the Snake. The exchange is settled to be in a month from now, so you will have very little time to fit in. You need to find out what happened to our contact, report it to us and, if we allow it, to steal the scrolls yourself."_

 _Tsunade and Shizune were looking at her expectantly, as Sakura was pondering the stakes here. Her mind was racing with everything, already building a plan on how to infiltrate the estate._

 _"_ _How will I recognize our contact, if he is not…?"_

 _"_ _Dead? I don't think so. I'm rather worried he decided to go solo, on his own terms. We never saw his face directly, only some of our agents have. He goes by the name of Taka."_

 _"_ _The Hawk", Sakura whispered._

 _The name rung a bell. But how? Tsunade simply nodded and carried on._

 _"_ _The procedure if we were sending someone to him was to alert him via message, but we are too worried he might be compromised. You will be on your own on this. Report to us only in case of emergency, and conceal your identity. More than ever, no one can now that you are working for us, or your family will be in grave danger. Their position is more and more jeopardized at court."_

 _S_ _akura clamped her lips together in a stiff nod. She was very much aware that her family's honour was at stake. She had used the past years as a cover up, and, to all official sources, the young Sakura Haruno was kept indoors at her estate, mourning the death of her former husband, Takeshi Asano. The reality was very much different, and she had been concealing her identity at Tsunade's side, very few being aware of who she really was, even in Rebellion's troops. Her father and brother, at the head of the estate, were playing a very dangerous double game, trying to remain in good graces with Danzo while discreetly providing supplies to the rebellion. She could not be compromised, or it would be the death of them all. Then …_

 _"_ _Why me, if it's so dangerous, Tsunade-hime?"_

 _Tsunade threw a side glance at Shizune, before looking at Sakura._

 _"_ _Because you are the most competent person I know for this kind of mission, and I can trust only you. You know the rules of court. You know this kind of men. And I think there is only you who can truly connect with Taka, if he is still loyal to us, or bring him back to our side."_

 _"_ _B…But why?"_

 _Tsunade remained silent for a while, looking at the red tie holding Sakura's -now black- long hair. The foolish girl… She then smirked, took another gulp of her drink, and whispered:_

 _"_ _Trust my instincts, Suzume."_

 _Sakura smiled at her nickname, often used when in public to conceal her identity to curious ears. Sparrow and Hawk. That could only mean well … Right? She had to trust her mentor on this one. The young woman raised, bowed to her mentor and to Shizune._

 _"_ _If it's all, I will take my leave and go to bed. I assume I leave first thing tomorrow?" she asked, already knowing the answer._

 _"_ _We will brief you on the way. You will leave in the afternoon, spend one night by the border to get there in a couple of days. There is a long journey ahead, little bird."_

 _Sakura smiled one last time, and left to join her quarters, mind and heart racing. What an exciting yet hectic assignment! She, however, finally found a way to make her mentor proud, and have an actual impact in this war. If she could intercept those scrolls, the path of war would change, for sure; and if peace was brought back, so would all of her precious friends. She fell asleep almost immediately that night, lightly smiling at Naruto's snoring that could be heard all over the quarters._

 _After she left, Jiraya took her spot in front of Tsunade._

 _"_ _Are you sure you want to send the girl right into Orochimaru's den? It is very bold, even coming from you, Tsunade."_

 _"_ _Uchiha won't contact us anymore. I think he is double-crossing us. I need to send someone that could reason with him."_

 _"_ _And not tell her? Are you insane, woman?!", the man yelled, slamming his fist on the table, making the few people still here turn around briefly. "The girl has no idea what she is running into. And how do you know he will even remember her? Naruto and I ran into him a year ago and he almost killed us."_

 _"_ _The boy has fallen into the darkest depths, and I thought we could rely on him as long as our interests were aligned. However, he seems to have shifted. We simply need to remind him what there is for him if he follows us."_

 _"_ _And that is?"_

 _Tsunade looked at Jiraya for a moment, thinking about the ribbon still holding Sakura's hair._

 _"_ _Redemption."_

 _Four weeks later_

 _Sakura was standing on the roof of the mansion in a precarious stand, listening to a conversation taking place in a room nearby. She was crouching, blending in the shadows, her whole outfit black and a mask concealing the bottom of her face. Only her eyes and forehead were visible, her skin glistening with sweat, both from the physical effort and the stressful situation._

 _One of Danzo's generals – she recognized him as the shogun of a border estate in Fire country- was discussing in hushed words with a man she could not identify about a trade agreement taking place a week from now near the border. He was stressed, because one of their convoys had been under attack, but reported that his men managed to destroy the scrolls before anyone could take it. He had, as he said, the last remaining copy of them with him._

 _Bingo! Finally, after weeks spent posing as a kampô assistant, or bearing with the advances of pretty much every damn soldier in the estate in order to pry some information out of them, she managed to get some quality intel. She had been unsuccessful in finding Taka, assuming he was indeed very much dead, and had to move on her own. Luckily for her, Tsunade's skills allowed her to maim discreetly – then cure publicly- one of Orochimaru's men, which allowed her just enough gratitude to gain access to the mansion in order to "study" alongside one of his most trusted advisors: Kabuto. He was, she knew, a very good doctor, and the young man's reputation went beyond the borders of the Fire Nation. She introduced herself as the sweet Suzume, coming from beyond River Country to seek training with one of the "best kampô of the country". Her seal concealed under layers of makeup and her hair dyed black, she had the perfect little story wrapped up: her mother died lately and was the medic's village. She never knew her father, just that he enrolled in the Snake's army and wanted both to find him and be taught medicine at the next level. Kabuto was more famous for his human experimentations than his moral compass, but her little act and her medical ability had allowed her a place within the estate, a purpose and enough freedom to wander around, as opposed to common servants: there was no room for complaining._

 _She felt her foot sliding slowly on one of the tiles. Dammit! She had been idle for too long. She had to move soon or her leg was going to fall asleep. The conversation inside took a very different turn when a deep voice answered:_

 _"_ _Give them to me now. I will carry them to Danzo myself."_

 _Sakura's insides wrenched painfully. She could not loose the scrolls now! The fat, stupid general was a perfect target and she could have had acquired them easily enough. With this new man, however… And what was that voice? She felt like her body was responding in an instinctive manner to the undertones and the nuances, its rhythm and music. She knew it, she could feel it, but from where?_

 _"_ _Taka-san, I have orders. I am to deliver those to Danzo-sama in person. Plus, you just resurfaced after going kami knows where. I am not sure you can be trusted."_

 _Taka?! Where was he coming from? Just resurfaced? Were Tsunade-sama's allegations true, was he playing solo now? Or was he just laying low for some reason? Sakura's mind was overflowing with questions. How to get into contact with him now? Was he even to be trusted?_

 _Suddenly, her leg slipped against the tile in a faint thump. She stopped it just in time and froze, but it was too late._

 _"_ _What was that?!"_

 _"_ _I'll have a look. Go. This conversation is not over", Taka growled._

 _Sakura's heart leaped in her chest. She had to get away! She swiftly jumped from her hideout next to the window, and started sprinting across the rooftops. She could barely hear Taka, but could feel him following her. Crap! Quick. She needed to think. She had to find a quiet place to escape or confront him, but she couldn't get away from the estate, otherwise getting back in would be too complicated. Plus, the heavy-lit streets were definitively not an option._

 _She saw her chance at the corner of her eyes. The Gardens! Unsheathing her wakisashi from a scabbard attached in the crook of her back, she darted downwards to use the shadows of the trees as a refuge. She felt Taka's hand closing on her hair, but one second too late, and, as she fell down, he only grasped the cold wind. Dammit, he was fast!_

 _Reaching the very large gardens, she spotted an area with denser trees and bushes, where they would nearly be invisible from the estate. She could take him here. Her grasp on the handle of her sword strengthened. She could not fail here. Not now. Tsunade-hime was counting on her. She barely turned around to face him when her wakisashi clung with a katana blade. She fell back due to the shock, and faced Taka for the first time. His face was only caressed by the beams of the half-full moon, but she froze._

 _It was like her heart had stopped. In front of her, panting and visibly annoyed, was Sasuke. Seven years older, stronger, and darker, but Sasuke. She took an idle second to look at him, all sharp lines and onyx eyes, feeling her whole body tremble, and lowered instinctively her blade._

 _He took this second as hesitation and slammed into her at full force, his katana blade on her neck with raging fury. In one last moment of lucidity, she managed to neutralise his attack by protecting her neck with her sword, but it fell away from the shock. She fell down and he tackled her on the ground, her wakisashi too far to be reached, his body on top of hers preventing her every move. His eyes were shining crimson, a colour she was very much used to. It was the colour of the Uchiha old emblem, the colour of the ribbon she still had in her hair. It was him._

 _His eyes were trailing all over her face. He did not recognize her, she realised. She had changed a lot, grew older, her hair was dyed and face concealed. How could he? Part of her wished he did anyways, but it was the last of her concerns right now, because she was about to die._

 _She was about to say something to stop him, reveal herself and pray that he was still allied with Tsunade's forces, when his eyes stopped somewhere above her head. She felt him shudder, and saw his eyes recoil to black. His free hand shot to caress what she knew to be his ribbon in between two fingers. She could see that his soft hands had become callous, and distinguished old and new scars all across his body where his kimono had moved to reveal his alabaster skin. For a foolish second, she hoped, hoped that he would see her. However, he turned to look at her and with the most callous intonation, he uttered:_

 _"_ _Where. Did. You. Get. That?"_

 _He recognized the bow, she realised. He just didn't recognize her. Sakura drew a ragged breath, feeling the edge of the sword against her throat through the fabric of her mask._

 _"_ _A … boy gave it to me… Just before my genpachu. I danced, danced … But he left me", she murmured._

 _Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes. She could not believe it. He was here. He was here! After all these years of looking for him, she had to run into him when she needed an ally the most. She watched him as he slowly took in her words, and could nearly see shadows of the past dancing in his orbs. He discarded his weapon slowly, still preventing her from moving, but without letting her out of his sight. Slowly, with measured movements, his fingers went to hook the edge of her mask, and slid it down to reveal her face._

 _Step by step, he realised. His fingers trailed around the cusp of her cheek, under her jade eyes now barred with tears, on her forehead, then again on her crimson bow in her tresses. Sakura could picture the veil lifting from his cloudy vision, as he was trying to piece together the image he had of her from seven years ago with her sudden apparition. She, too, took this time to acknowledge him as the man he became, his lean shoulders, strong muscles and aristocratic features. He finally whispered a unique word with a fondness that made her tremble:_

 _"_ _Sakura…"_

 _"_ _Hello", she answered in a strangled voice._

 _She smiled softly behind her sobs, before beaming completely at the sight of him so stunned. He wasn't moving, his eyes scanning her every features, before he uttered, in a voice she knew too well:_

 _"_ _What… What are you doing here?"_

 _"_ _Tsunade-hime sent me."_

 _Sasuke leaned back and exhaled in a cold laugh. He swiftly lifted himself off her body, one hand raking through his hair. She looked at him questioningly as he put his katana back in his scabbard. His face now clouded with gravity, he crouched to look at her as she sat down._

 _"_ _Does anyone know you are here?"_

 _"_ _Except Tsunade-hime you mean? No. No one knows who I am. I'm working as one of Kabuto's assistants."_

 _"_ _Kabuto?!" He hushed, now irritated. "Do you know how dangerous that man is?"_

 _Sakura furrowed her brows, her pride hurt. She got up to grab her wakisashi, and stretched, her back and shoulders sore from the previous fight._

 _"_ _Of course I know. I needed the cover until I could reach, well, you. Why didn't you contact us?"_

 _"_ _It's none of your business", he answered sharply._

 _She turned to face him, astonished. He was looking at her with his cold, impassive features back on and she felt even more hurt._

 _"_ _None of my … Excuse me? The rebellion needs those scrolls."_

 _"_ _Not as much as I do."_

 _"_ _So you are a traitor."_

 _His face shifted to reflect pure anger as he got closer to her. She stepped back as a reflex, and, seeing this, Sasuke stopped. The young woman looked at him. Was he hurt? What game was he playing? She saw his hand gripping the handle of his katana with strength._

 _"_ _I … am … not … a… traitor", he uttered, his jaw stiff with irritation._

 _"_ _Then help us getting the scrolls, as you promised the rebellion, and Tsunade-hime."_

 _"_ _The stakes changed. I need them."_

 _"_ _So what? You are going to kill me if I steal them away from you?"_

 _He started to walk away from her, snarking:_

 _"_ _Oh, you won't."_

 _Sakura's blood boiled as she felt the trails her previous tears had made on her cheeks drying out. What was happening? How could he do such a thing? How could his whole behaviour change so drastically? Was it all she won, after seven years, a few seconds of a lowered guard? She threw herself at him, but this time, her hand wrapped itself around the collar of his kimono, forcing him to turn around._

 _"_ _Don't you walk away from me. Not again. Not like this."_

 _He took her hand and detached it from his kimono without much effort and to her utter dismay. All of her years of training, and she couldn't event resist his strength. She thought about engaging in combat, but stopped herself before putting that consideration into action. She finally had him to talk to her, and a part of her knew that, if he really wanted to leave, he would've already. He was staring at her with carefully-put disdain, but she knew better. She knew him. She loosened her grip, and faced him completely, scouting for a spark of hope, affection, or feelings in his back orbs._

 _"_ _What happened to you, Sasuke?..."_

 _He didn't answer to her plea, but his hand around her wrist relaxed slightly. Slowly, she raised both of her hands to lightly cusp his face, her fingers trailing through the little hair on his temples. He let her do it, but she could feel he was battling conflicting emotions. When did loving each other became so complicated? It took her so long, to find him. So long, to get back to him. So many hardships, so many battles, yet he was here and more distant than ever._

 _"_ _Help me. We can help each other. I only need duplicate of the scrolls."_

 _She was lying. She needed the originals to prove Danzo's guilt to court. She, however, poured every fibre of her being in this lie, her stomach twisting painfully. They still had a week. A week would be enough to convince him to come back to the rebellion. It could work. One week would be enough. It had to be enough._

 _Sasuke looked at her for what seemed an eternity. During this moment, Sakura wondered what he had seen, during these years. Where would all those scars come from? Who did he see, who did he go to? She wanted to young hear all of his stories, all of what made him the man standing in front of her today. His onyx eyes were piercing right through her, and she felt that the attraction between them had shifted. She fell in love with him a, foolish, naïve girl. But now, she realised, she loved him a woman, with unwavering strength and faith. She never stopped loving every single broken, flawed, precarious parts of his being, and that devotion had only grown stronger with time. She could feel the sizzling energy coursing through the air, wrapping them in something unique and raw._

 _Heat rose to her face for an instant as she withstood his gaze, her lips parting, her breath hitching. They were so close, she realised all of a sudden. Adrenaline from their encounter had just worn off, and now if was a very different kind of energy driving her body. Her fingers lightly hooked the side of his head, still in his silky hair, and she felt him falter, just for an instant._

 _Sasuke felt the inviting press of the tips of her fingers in his hair, and all of a sudden he couldn't think straight. He knew he had to get the originals of the scrolls only, and knew she needed them too. However, they had one week before the trade. It could be enough for him, to come up with a strategy. He could have her for one week, just as she wanted to, and carry on with his goal, just as planned. She could be useful. She could help him secure the scrolls. She was just a mere distraction, a mirage of the past, a means to an end. And she was here. In front of him, after all these years. Years after hearing news of her marriage to Takeshi Asano as her father planned, years after he had to let her go. Who had she became? What had happened to her? He heard of Asano's demise at the battle of Awazu, but what about her? He could feel that the girl was gone for good. Something else had been born, and he was now facing a woman. She was here, radiant, beautiful, fierce, a warrior in the skin of the maiden he fell foolishly in love with many years ago and who had never left his thoughts._

 _She was everything he ever wanted, and so much more._

 _"_ _Fine", he whispered while leaning closer to her._

 _His own hands went to wrap themselves around her frame, slowly, caressing her body with attentive gentleness. He suddenly realised he never touched her like this, never got so close to her. The last and only kiss they shared was chaste, messy, and desperate. It was under a willow tree, while their whole worlds were burning down, and here they were, facing again, standing on the ashes._

 _He felt heat invading his whole body, and took a few more seconds to look at her, so open, wanting. His heart leap into his chest painfully as he realised he had never stopped being hers. He was so enthralled and trapped by this woman that the whole world could disappear without him caring._

 _Let them perish. Let them starve. He didn't bother._

 _He hadn't thought of anyone else, hadn't desired anyone else as much as he wanted her, and, when one of his hands went raking through her tresses while crashing her body into his arms, he took one hungry gulp of air. He drowned himself in the smell of her, the feel of her, and despite his shaking legs and her trembling from, despite her tears he could feel wetting his collarbone and the shudders of his own ribcage, they embraced like long-lost lovers, old souls that spent too long looking for each other. It was pure, raw, unaltered emotion, despite the war, despite their plans, despite his revenge and her loyalty to her master._

 _As they parted slightly to look at each other, vivid with feelings, all dishevelled and gasping for air, their hands oddly moving against their lover's body, they both found the answer. They leaned towards one another, and, with the frailty and the might of a cursed infatuation, their lips crashed together. Softly, they found one another, and brushed, grazed their long-lost love with what felt like the epitome of themselves: unaltered passion, undying devotion and sheer despair. In this kiss, there was everything left unsaid. It screamed their names, their longing, erased the wounds and cured the fears, appeased the monsters lurking into their hearts, dispelled the nights spent alone, or crying silently at the wrong bedside. There was a hunger in every move, a might stronger than the will of men and the course of the earth. As they finally got to one another, mouths against skin, stifled moans and clumsy embraces, everything else just faded._

 _One week, they both thought in this instant. The gods had given them one week._

 _In this garden, far away from prying eyes, the two lovers felt like time had stopped. But all around them, the crushing machine of war was already in motion, and they only were pawns in a game much bigger than themselves._

 _They knew reality would catch up._

 _They couldn't care less._

* * *

Sasuke had lost himself in Sakura's wavering features. He could see, in-between her eyes, the little folds her eyebrows did when she was focusing, the twitch of her jaw, the light balancing of her head that said so much about her: nobility, graciousness, skilful display of sheer dominance. She was all about the very fine control of everything that made her powerful: her emotions, her skills, her secrets. Sakura had always been like this, dancing on this precarious rope without ever falling. It was her biggest strength, one of a born ruler: a tight restraint and self-discipline that reminded him of his own mother's.

She would have loved her, he thought briefly. She already did, in a way. The Ronin pushed away the tender memories of her, knowing all too well that they would always get tainted with the last image he had of her, embraced in his father's arms in one last attempt to protect her, cold, pale, her beautiful black tresses pooling in their blood, eyes shot open in a panicked state, frozen in a silent scream. He shook his head. There was no need summoning ghosts of the past. Not anymore.

The garden was still vibrant with the noises of the party, and Sakura had sat down in a more informal stance, her legs folded in front of her like a man's. It made him smirk slightly. It reminded him of their times in the mountains of Mist country, where he discovered a whole new side of her. The warrior, the healer, the skilful politician. Now that he was looking at her as she pretended to read diplomatic documents, he took an instant to admire her in all of her glory, at the apex of her talent. How could there be anyone else. How could anyone see anything but her?

Her voice dragged him out of his thoughts, and he realised she was looking at him.

"I know you think this isn't me", she said gesturing at all the papers scattered around her.

He remained silent, guessing the contents: trade deals, markets, hiring of soldiers, supplies, and much more.

"But it is. It has been for longer than you were around, and it has been because I had no alternative. I am a woman, and women in this world don't get as lucky as I was. Despite everything I went through."

Sasuke looked at Sakura, mute. She wanted to get something off her chest. He could see the fire burning in her eyes and knew better than to stand in her way.

"I have been making choices, for the past decade, that led me here. Some were forced upon me. Some were of my doing. But I never, never, betrayed who I was."

Her eyes were shining from unshed tears, but she was, once again, in control. She was like a raging storm in a teacup, enclosed, inhibited, untamed.

"I am all of this. All of it. All of my mistakes. All of my failures. All of my restrictions. I am not trapped, waiting to be set free, I am part of the cage, I built it, and not even for you would I get out as long as my goal is complete."

She exhaled, as Sasuke felt his own heart plummet. He knew the feeling very well. He was, in his own way, trapped in his own web of goals, lies, and values he could not escape.

"But you know that very well, don't you, Sasuke? You made the same choice. Took the same path as me, in your own way."

It was his turn to breathe out. Of course, he knew. He remembered, even. It was not the first time they were confronted to this situation. They had this conversation before, he recollected, and he understood where this was heading.

He took a few more moments to gaze at her, drowning in the sight of the woman she became. The way her long hair was flowing on her shoulders, trapped in the folds of her light kimono top, all reflections of the colour of spring. The way she was slightly bending her head on the side, her doe-like eyes withholding his own. Like two sides of the same coin, they were equivalent, forged from the same fire. He could feel the painful tug of his heart, wishing to belong to her in a world not ready for them. They knew they had to endure, just a little longer, just a little harder. Would he have to see her marry yet another man in order for peace to be restored? Could he withstand the sight of her being dragged away until Danzo was dead? He knew he had nothing to say. It was her choice to make, her burden to bear.

She didn't belong to anyone else but herself, he realised. Even thrown in the arms of another man, even when on the battlefield, she would always be this raw, unattainable, primal beauty and grace. She was true fire, like he never saw before, and could never be tamed. He only wished they had more time. More than a week, more than a night. But for their ambitions to be fulfilled, one lifetime would probably not be enough.

"Not even for me, then?" he murmured.

"Not even for you", she replied in a whisper.

* * *

 _Three years ago, day of the trade deal_

 _"_ _Suzume-san", Kabuto asked. "Have you finished with the final preparations?"_

 _"_ _Y-yes, Kabuto-sama", the young woman replied, faking indecision. "I am just worried the dosage is a little bit too strong. The smell is terrible!"_

 _The dosage was perfect, she knew. The pieris flower extract had been dosed to the milligram, which explained the stench. It was part of a larger experiment in order to extract the poison agent from the plant that Sakura would've found fascinating if it didn't involve testing it on prisoners. Luckily enough, the tests were scheduled for tomorrow, and by then she would be long gone. All she had to do was to get away from the estate as soon as her day was over, slip away from town and join Sasuke in the woods where he told her to wait for him. The meeting between the two parties would take place in a remote village near their hideout, and they needed to prepare._

 _"_ _Kabuto-sama, I don't feel so well, I think it might be the flower extract. If you don't need me anymore, I will go and rest for the end of the day", she offered._

 _Kabuto looked at her for an instant, and she thought she saw something flash in his eyes, a spark, a waver. He was one of the most trusted advisors of the Snake, and all of a sudden she feared her connection to Sasuke had been discovered. His small, black eyes were piercing right through her and the unsettling sensation was crawling inside of her._

 _"_ _Sakura", he whispered._

 _She froze in place, physically feeling herself become ill. He knew. He knew. She was done. There was no way she could escape now. Did Sasuke betrayed her? On top of her distressed state, she felt her heart plummet. No! It couldn't be._

 _"_ _Sakura flowers would be a nice addition to our mixture, to keep the stench away, don't you think?"_

 _The young woman looked at the medic. He was still staring at her, with the disturbing look of someone who knew more than he was letting along. He was messing with her. Sakura put on a perfect fake smile, then responded:_

 _"_ _The smell is so terrible that I doubt it will ease much, but it is worth trying! I will go and ask the gardeners about it for our second batch on my way."_

 _Kabuto kept silent for a while, as if pondering. His eyes were still on Sakura, unmoving. After a few seconds, he finally adjusted his glasses and walked away from her._

 _"_ _I'll see you tomorrow, then, Suzume", he said._

 _"_ _Of course, Kabuto-sensei. See you tomorrow."_

 _Sakura suppressed a shiver. As if. She sprinted in the large, cold halls of the mansion, avoiding anyone that could see her, straight to her quarters. There she changed, putting her combat gear under her more traditional medical uniform and removing her wakisashi from its hiding place to slide it in between her breasts, under her haori. She tightened her hair in a traditional bun, her ribbon, as always, holding every falling strand into place. She took some medical gear and money in a small pouch, and left everything else behind: she didn't need any of it._

 _Slipping out of the estate and into town was a precarious effort, but as soon as she reached the small city, everything got easier. Her clothes and hair, plain, did not attract attention, and soon enough, she was running carefully at full speed in the woods to reach her meeting point with Sasuke. No one had followed her, she was sure of it, but she couldn't help to feel that something was off. It is then very anxiously that she reached the spot, concealed near a cliff, under heavy trees._

 _As she suspected coming from Sasuke, the entrance to the hideout was properly invisible. It was only thanks to his indications that she managed to lift a carefully-painted cloth out of the stone wall, revealing a cavity she slid herself into. It reminded her of the way the rebellion hid their bases, and that thought made her smile. She arrived in a hollow space, rearranged as a functional basecamp. Everything was here: weapons, maps, and even some living essentials. Light was coming out from carefully-dug openings, too small to be seen, but big enough to let light go out and the smoke from the torches out without being discovered. She settled there in a sigh. All she had to do was prepare, and wait._

 _She hadn't seen Sasuke since their reunion a week ago. They both knew better than to be careless; and she longed for the moment where she would see him again. How hard it had been, to know he was just here, in the shadows of the estate! At several moments during the week, she thought she sensed a pair of eyes trail on her from across a room, like a lover's caress, but there was nothing to turn around to._

 _As she was changing into her battle clothing and preparing her sword, she couldn't help but to let her mind unravel. She had to convince Sasuke to come back to the rebellion with her, it was the only way. He was, despite her efforts, much stronger than her, and could easily incapacitate her, however. At this thought, she pulled a small vial of a crimson liquid from her medicinal kit, and her heart constricted in her chest. It was her last resort. This poison, if ingested or in contact with blood, was a powerful sedative. It would knock him out in a matter of minutes, and allow her a couple hours ahead of him to escape. Thinking about betraying him in such a way, right after meeting again, stung her deeply, but she had to be careful. Even if she knew the man she loved was still present, she couldn't imagine what Sasuke had to go through in their years apart, to avenge his clan and find his bigger brother as a Ronin, a hunted man. Who knew what he had to do, who he had to become? She couldn't overlook this or it could mean the death of her. She hid away the flask and started preparing her medicine kit. Better be cautious, in case anything went awry._

 _Sasuke arrived only a couple hours later. Hearing some noise at the entrance of the hideaway, she took cover, sword in hand, in a spot between two patches of the fading light. Only when she saw his face peeking out of the dark, she allowed herself to let down her guard. He hadn't betrayed her, after all. He spotted her nearly right away, and something in his features relaxed slightly. She noticed he too had his sword in hand when coming into the cave._

 _"_ _Afraid that I was going to kill you?" she teased._

 _He sheathed his sword back, before smiling slightly._

 _"_ _It took me only mere seconds to spot you", he shot back._

 _"_ _Hey! It's not like there is anywhere else to hide here. It's dangerous to have such a hideout, with no other way out."_

 _"_ _This is why I never use it. But it was the best for our ambush."_

 _He looked around, considering the mess she made while preparing her medicine kit._

 _"_ _Are you ready to go?"_

 _"_ _In a minute. I'm finishing up with these. It's only precaution."_

 _He silently nodded, before overlooking his own equipment. It was basic, really, but of extremely good craft. He had always been like this, cautious, considerate, careful. Everything had a place, and there was no room for fantasies, decorations … Distractions. His look slid to Sakura, who was putting away flasks, bandages and ointments. Why did she had to be here? Did Tsunade sent her on purpose? At that thought, he couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment towards the rebellion leader. How could she do this to him. How could she do this to her. Sakura didn't seem aware that she was going to run into him, so it had to be the princess' doing. To him, Sakura couldn't fake emotion, and what he saw in those jade, glistering eyes of hers was truth, and raw feelings. Part of him wished he was right, as war had changed them both, deeply, and he was afraid to realise that his image of the radiant, young girl she once was had faded forever. How would she react, when he would leave again? He couldn't step away from this goal. He had to deliver those scrolls to Danzo himself, to win his trust. It was his only way to reach Itachi, to learn more about the monster that had executed their whole family._

 _It was, in a way, the final test. If he could detach from her the way he did from everything else, maybe that would mean he had become strong enough to get his revenge._

 _"_ _Sasuke-kun?" she enquired, her voice dragging him out of his thoughts. "Are you good to go? I'm done, and I've reviewed the plan you gave me. We should go and set the traps."_

 _He took a moment to look at her, all plum lips, beautiful eyes, unwavering determination, radiant of everything she was on the verge of becoming. He nodded once more, unable to make a sound. She smiled softly and led the way out. He didn't know if, when the moment was right, he would have the strength to betray her. Right now, he couldn't even walk away._

* * *

Sasuke had left her to her thoughts last night, silent as a shadow and understanding. After everything they went through, after everything he did to her and everything she chose to forgave him for, they were stronger than time, stronger than everything the universe was putting in-between them.

That morning, Sakura woke up too early as always, getting bathed and dolled up by her maids. She joined Kakashi on the paths in front of the gardens, as every morning, and as usual, they talked. She was, just like the day before, terribly worried. However, that time, she noticed a stiffness in her friend's shoulders, a slump, a crack in his customary laidback behaviour. She deduced it was Sasuke's presence that was making him question her own determination.

"I will do what's necessary, you know", she offered softly.

Kakashi turned to look at her, and his expression went sour. The wind blew strongly for an instant, and she decided to look at her friend – she only found a silent plea for something she couldn't pinpoint. He took one long, ragged breath in. She never saw him like this, so distraught.

"This is what I am the most afraid of", he replied, his voice deep with untold implications.

Sakura's heart leaped in her chest.

"What do you mean?"

"I know what you are about to do. To protect them. To protect us. I know you. It's maybe the right move, but it's not the right way."

"…I know", she admitted. "But what other choice do I have? If we stay idle, Danzo will never be questioned. If we stay idle, I will die."

"You are putting yourself at greater risk with your alliance to Akamatsu. I don't know what he offered you, but he will not be able to protect you against his men."

"This is why I have you, Naruto and Sasuke. I can trust you all. And if I die, it will be fighting, and trying. Not hiding here, waiting for him to end my life the same way he did with my brother and father."

Kakashi lowered his head, his hand pinching the end of his nose, before sliding across his cheeks and mask, stopping one second at his throat before letting it fall down at his side. It was like he was trying to wipe away doubt and fear physically. Sakura understood, in a way. He and Akamatsu must have had talked last night.

"What did he say to you?" she whispered.

"That he was going to make you his. That you were smart enough to know it was the best way", he snickered darkly.

"You know he is probably right."

"He isn't." the man lost his nerve. "Not like this. Not again. Not for you. You cannot be dragged away again that way. You do not belong to anyone."

Sakura smiled softly, touched by his words. She kept quiet as Kakashi was calming down, regaining composure.

"Naruto was so mad I had to drag him out. Luckily for us, Akamatsu thought it was only because of alcohol, or was polite enough to pretend he didn't notice", Kakashi laughed, a bit kinder.

"He was never good with alcohol", Sakura teased.

"Indeed, and still isn't", he agreed as they both giggled, their breaths swirling in puffs of white haze.

They fell quiet for a few minutes, each of them enjoying the quiet presence of a trusted friend by its side. This was one of these mornings, that they came to enjoy the most: quiet, away from everything else, from the noise, form the heckles and the burdens of living such a life. They were alive, living, breathing, and it was the most precious gift of all.

They parted without a word, Sakura to her maids, Kakashi to the main room where the lords were starting to arrive. As he scanned the room, still quite empty, the man felt the nauseating sensation he had this morning waking up coming back. Today was critical. They had to gather enough samurai clans around Sakura, or she would die. It was as simple as this, as clear.

She would die.

Kakashi's heart was thumping painfully in his chest. She would die, and there wasn't much he could do, except dying at her side. He would fail in the mission he had undertook. Just like his father. He would die in vain, in shame, and the Hatake name would be tainted forever, like a cursed legacy.

He was never much for superstitions and tradition, but, right now, he was suffering from the actual weight of expectations falling upon him. He could grasp the torment his father had been under, and the pain of not having him by his side became suffocating.

He could not loose precious people. These kids, his friends, his former teammates. They were everything he had left. He could not let them die, like Obito, Rin, and his father. He just couldn't bear this kind of agony ever again.

Anxious, he joined Naruto's side, who looked gloomier than usual. Sasuke was making himself not seen, and had discarded his katana, standing in the corner of the room – it was probably for the best. The three of them looked up to the platform, guessing at the shadows behind the panels that Sakura was setting into place. So little lords had come, and it didn't look like there was going to be much more coming.

At the back of the room, Shinzo Akamatsu was the only one smiling.

* * *

 _Hello there._

 _So, if you are waiting for angst, it's coming. I'm done laying the ground of niceness and soft shivers. Hopefully, you'll like it as much as I do._

 _I was supposed to make the chapter even longer but I realised I was hitting a wall with the way I wanted to tell the story (aka had another 20 pages to write to wrap up where I intended at first), so here you go - it's probably better this way._

 _By the way, I realised I had been using some sort of French dialogue style (my native tongue) that did not make much sense for english-speaking readers, please forgive me. Hopefully this new dialogue format is easier to read and more familiar._

 _Thank you again, for the reviews and the love you are pouring in the comment section. It means the world._

 _Love, uglypotato._


	6. Gathering power, losing allies

Chapter 6 – Gathering power, losing allies

 _"The wise warrior avoids the battle."_

Friendly trigger warning - mentions (not descriptions!) of rape and abuse in this chapter. Read safe.

* * *

 _Three years ago, the night of the trade deal _

_It had gone so wrong._

 _At least, that's all Sakura remembered._

 _There had been fire, and screams. She remembered the sound of the blades, the rustle of fabric, the swirl of her wakisashi, the delicate ring of Sasuke's long katana._

 _Her head was heavy and she felt like she was floating – all weight and softness and dampened sensations._

 _They had been betrayed. Someone knew they were going to try to steal the scrolls, and after they engaged in combat, reinforcements were prompt to appear. The face of Kabuto materialised somewhere in her mind, with fragmented memories. He'd known._

 _Barely scraping the scrolls away from the warm body of a general, they managed to flee the ambush scene to the shores of a large lake, with more space to fight and turn and kill. They did well, for a while, but …_

 _…_ _What was she thinking about again?_

 _Her head was so heavy, and it was so dark around. She tried to open her eyes, but spots of blue and brown and black were everywhere, swirling and surrounding her._

 _Where was Sasuke?_

 _She had trouble focusing. Where was she again? She had to move, but her arms and legs were wrapped in something heavy as iron and soft as wool. Everything felt suffocating. She tried to breathe, but all of a sudden, water invaded her lungs and blocked everything. In a desperate last jolt of consciousness, she realised with sheer horror that she was sinking into the dark waters of the lake, too weak and too far away from everything to do anything but see herself die._

 _She tried to move, tried to yell, but it was almost nearly over, and as she lost what was left of her energy, the dark waters seemed to swallow her whole._

 _It had gone so wrong._

 _Sasuke was parading and killing, swishing through bodies with ease and a mastery that made it almost look like dancing. With every falling body, he had kept an eye to Sakura, who was keeping her fair share of opponents away._

 _She was smaller than them, but for some reason seemed far stronger, and her battling stance, all grace and fury, reminded him a lot of what he heard of Tsunade's. Her shorter blade, made for a closer contact and one-shot blows, required of her to be way swifter and agile than he had to, but matched very well her very powerful blows. It was messier than his style, and he knew why: while he had been taught for many years, hers was a mastery born in battlefields._

 _The enemies had surrounded them, near the shore of the lake they retreated to. He had not been surprised by their ambush: The Snake had ears everywhere and Sakura's sudden appearance, despite her best efforts, would have had been enough to raise suspicions. He was fairly confident though, that no one would unmask them as none of these men would come out of this fight alive: they certainly did not expect to find another warrior sided with the woman. They had a clear advantage, and, to his surprise, their team of two was incredibly efficient._

 _What he did not plan were the bombs. In a flash, two small, lit spheres were thrown in between their legs, right in the middle of the battle, and the fighters barely had enough time to jump away to avoid the blast. It went, ear-splitting, overwhelming, raising clouds of smoke from the dry earth, making their heads ring. The Snake's mercenaries did not bother avoiding their own men, as several corpses were lying down, right where the traps were sent. Sasuke managed to get away, painfully recovering and fighting the remaining warriors. It had been, he realised, their last resort: there was almost no one left to face him._

 _As he plunged his sword into the last beating heart of the Snake's men, he looked around. The field was awfully quiet, and he realised abruptly that he did not hear nor see where Sakura went after the blast. Reeling with an anxiety he was battling, he looked around for her little frame. Maybe she had been buried under corpses, knocked out from the blast?_

 _A flicker, at the surface of the lake, made his stomach churn. It was her small sword, barely floating at the top of the still waters. She was sinking._

 _A passing thought tried to make him consider leaving her here. After all, he had the scrolls, and he couldn't stay for long. Trying to save her could put him in jeopardy, and would interfere with finding Itachi. He could just leave her here to die, he thought, as he discarded his weapon and ran into the water like a madman._

 _It would be so simple, to just let the lake surround her and slowly end her life, he thought as he rushed under the dark waters, frantically searching for a spark of colour._

 _He just had to let go, and this obstacle would be forever removed from his path, he thought as he grabbed her cold hand and brought her inert body to his, propelling them out of the water._

 _It would be so simple, if she was gone, he thought as he brought her body to the shore, massaging her chest in an attempt to expel water from her lungs._

 _She had to die._

 _She couldn't die._

 _As Sakura came back to life, coughing and expelling water from her throat and mouth, her hands shooting in the air as if she was fighting death itself, Sasuke fell back, sitting in the damp shore, his hands on his own face, raking his hair, torn apart._

 _He nearly let her die._

 _He didn't let her die._

 _What was he doing? He couldn't get distracted. He had to focus on his goal, and his goal only. He was foolish, if he thought he could allow himself to get distracted._

 _Sakura had rose up, sitting, trying to piece together what just had happened. The ink from her hair was being washed away, and, as she tried to tie it up with her wet ribbon, her trembling hands kept on letting go of her tresses, over, and over again. She was in shock, he could tell, and her eyes went from her darkening palms to her wet body, her haori clinging to her skin, blood escaping from a small wound on her leg. Her movements were stiff and laborious, and he could feel her state of panic and disarray growing stronger with each passing second. She kept trying to close her hands onto her hair, her clothes, her own arms as is she was trying to bring herself some comfort._

 _He never saw her that disoriented and followed the wild movement of her jade orbs with quiet concern. As she was about to try and get up, her whole frame wet and covered in the spilling ink form her tresses, he firmly, but gently, closed his own hands on hers. It seemed that the trick worked, as she stopped to slowly look at him, their eyes meeting for the first time since their previous fight together. He saw, looking at her, that some powder he didn't realise she wore had washed away and that a purple diamond tattoo stood proudly on the middle of her forehead. It was the Princess's seal, the same as Tsunade's. Sakura had managed to get hers at such a young age? There were only rumours and legends about this source of mysterious power, conveyed only in the biggest secrecy, by very few women warriors. He wondered for a moment why she didn't use it in the fight beforehand._

 _"_ _I didn't want to attract too much attention ", he heard her whisper, as if she was reading his thoughts._

 _Sasuke hadn't realise that Sakura had regained her spirits. She was more recollected, her chest lifting slower and slower, and her striking jade eyes were locked straight onto his. Sasuke's breath hitched, struck somewhere in his throat, silently taking her in. This woman would be the death of him, he could feel it in his shaking bones._

 _"_ _You saved my life", she said softly. "I owe you, more than anything before."_

 _He looked, as she got closer, taking her hands out of his with a fondness he wouldn't have had suspected before, watching her fight. She took her wet ribbon out of her knees, where it had landed, and delicately put it in his open palms. She put both of her hands above it, hiding it from anyone's sight, as if it was the most precious of secrets._

 _"_ _Sasuke", she whispered, not looking away from him. "If you still want me, and it, and us…"_

 _She took her hands out, and he couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Her hands were so small, so white, so perfect little things, sliding above his like two small birds. His ribbon, family heir, and probably everything that was left from the Uchiha estate apart from sorrow, was back to him._

 _There was a beat, a whisper of time, that froze everything. The two lovers were suspended in-between frames, like an old movie halting, just for an instant. They stood apart form a world too cruel, too raw, too real, and, in this beat, in this parallel dimension where nothing but them existed, they were one._

 _Sasuke's eyes trailed from his hands to the trembling lips of the maiden in front of him, stopping there. She was shivering, he could tell – was it cold, or fear? He took in the curve of her jaw, the plump of her cheek, the grace of her neck, the pointy end of her nose, all the way back up to the beautiful jade eyes. Without breaking their contemplative silence, he raised his hands, entangled in the red ribbon, to her hair. There, slowly, he took in her tresses, braiding them carefully. He settled the long, wet braid of pink hair on her shoulder, indifferent to the ink on his fingers, and tied with a quiet reverence the crimson bond to its end._

 _He let go of her hair to delicately trace the outline of her face from the tip of his fingers. It traced faint dashes of black on her white skin, and he felt like a clumsy artist scribbling on a masterpiece. He couldn't look away. He knew the second he would look away, say something, everything would be broken. If they talked, then reality would come back, then they would have to fight again, he would have to leave her and he didn't know if he would bear it._

 _So Sasuke, in the middle of the mud, over the pounding of his own heart, and hers, and their mixed breaths in the heavy air, said nothing. He got up, taking her in his arms, without breaking their eye contact. She was so easily lifted up, so fragile, so strong. She clung to the collar of his drenched kimono top in a silent plea, waiting, willing._

 _His._

 _In a breath, he started running. Away from the battlefield, away from everything. He held her to his chest as if he was still dragging her up from the black waters, desperately, frantically, and soon enough they reached their hideout. He only let go of her to sit her on the makeshift futon in the corner of the small room, fetching a piece of cloth. He sat down in front of her, cloth in hand, and froze._

 _Night had fallen, and it was only shadows in their hideout. The light of the shining moon was peaking from the hole in-between rocks, splaying lazily on walls, caressing Sakura's small form. She was looking at him with the kind devotion he had carried with him for all these years, and she was more beautiful than ever. He heard her breath hitch when he slowly wrapped the fabric around her shoulders, and started rubbing her delicately._

 _She was shivering, and he could see her skin shiver under his touch, awaking goose bumps where his thumb traced a pattern on her jaw, when he slowed down to make sure she was dry and warm in his arms. Slowly, he removed her haori, letting it slide past her shoulders and elbows, his eyes locked onto hers. She let out a shaky sigh, only in battle gear, tight dark bindings made for combat. His hands, wrapped in the makeshift towel, wiped along her collarbone to the edge of her plexus, alongside her toned stomach, against the soft curves of her hips. His fingers hooked the edges of her hakama, and, in a slow motion, he rolled the wet fabric out of the way, revealing white, slender legs clamped together. His eyes trailed down only to come back to her face, stricken with apprehension, softness, and hints of fear he could not understand._

 _He slowly rubbed the outside of her legs, down to her feet, with silent care and devotion. She cringed in pain, the gash on her leg seeping with blood. He took fresh bandages and an ointment he had, slowly dabbing away all of her blood, revealing the wound. It was not deep, thankfully, but needed to be covered. He applied ointment in light, precise touches, wishing away the pain, the red, the metal scent of battle from her skin. He could feel her warming up under his fingers, through the fabric, as she grew dryer. Her legs however, stood firmly shut together, and he looked up, wordlessly begging permission to wrap the gauze around her thigh. She looked away, her features torn, lost in what looked like painful memories. It hit him then, what she might've gone through in her previous marriage. A flash came to mind, fed with the worst of what he'd witnessed in brothels around the kingdom, the way women were treated behind closed doors. At the thought of her slender form turned and tossed like a toy, picturing her fighting for pride, keeping a straight face to protect her life, muffling her own sobs, coldness crept in his gut._

 _Oh, my darling, my beloved, princess of everything._

 _His hand trailed up, leaving the cloth to her calves to caress her body, along the side of her hips, past her bindings, to gently cup her face turned away from him. He couldn't see her very well in the dark, but when his lips clumsily found her cheek, he felt moisture and his heart sunk. Slowly, deliberately, he kissed her cheeks again and again, her temples, her closed eyelids, once, twice, a hundred times, tasting her tears until her slender arms went to rest around his neck, back to this universe, back to them, suspended in between time and space._

 _His forehead to hers, breathing slowly, he was rubbing soothing circles of thumb on her skin, entangled in her hair. She looked so lost, so full of love and regret, and his heart sank._

 _"_ _I am sorry", he finally whispered, in-between butterfly kisses he left on her face, reverent, feverish of the moments stolen away from them, forever. "I wish everything would've gone differently."_

 _One more kiss, a dozen, a hundred._

 _"_ _I am sorry", he repeated. "So sorry I've left you to him. To them."_

 _Her arms around his neck tightened, bringing him closer. Sakura's aura changed, he could feel it shifting in the air, thick as smoke. She brought his lips to hers, fiercely, softly, and pulled away only when she deemed it enough – he complied wilfully._

 _"_ _Don't be", she said, voice strangled. "They stole it from us. From you. From me. Everything that could've been."_

 _Her forehead back on his, Sakura looked at Sasuke, her fingers threading with fondness in his black curls. They grew so much, since she last saw him. Everything changed, really, since that time – they were no longer children, no longer innocent, were they? His broad shoulders, the caress of his breath on her lips, all of these were new sensations, a part of him she greedily welcomed, a part of him that should've been hers a long time ago. The rays of the moon were stroking his high cheekbones, pooling sparks of light in his black eyes with everything resembling a winter night's sky, and she wanted nothing more but to throw herself in, wholly, entirely._

 _The balm on her leg wound was already working, her pain ebbing away. Sasuke's hand had found a resting spot on her hips, warm and caring. She found in this man the echoes of the boy she once adored, and her heart was fluttering with every beat, every look, every little thing he did that brought her back home. Oh, how she adored that child, that man, without the shadow of a doubt, no matter who he became, how she wanted nothing but to stand by his side. She would turn the world around, overthrow shoguns and emperors, ruin this country for him to retrieve his clan's honour, for him to be free again. She was scared of how calm and willing she was to sacrifice more and more to help him to be released from all of his past's burdens. Free to come back to her._

 _Oh, my warrior, my friend, my fallen Prince._

 _She unhooked her arms from around his neck as one low, disgruntled groan escaped his throat. The sound made her shiver, and she could feel his eyes on her, consuming and making her ache and burn for something she had yet to discover. She took the cloth that had fallen next to them, and started to rub his neck, his torso, opening his kimono top as she went, planes of white skin, soft to the touch and cold as marble appearing to the moonlight. She made him remove it, just he did with her, letting it fall beside them, his strong arms just here, at a fingertip's reach. She carried on, brushing the cloth on his collarbones, along his toned biceps, alongside his defined stomach. His body was covered in scars, some newer than others, some pale as a whisper, almost memories._

 _She went to ask him to remove his hakama, but his hand grabbed her wrist in the dark, stopping her still. She went up to look at him, but he was looking away, his face stuck in the combination of shyness and embarrassment. He was hard, they both knew it, both could feel the tension ravaging the air, the want in their gestures, slow and deliberate. She let go of the cloth to trace the line of a nasty scar, going all the way from his shoulder to under his heart from the tip of a finger. He quivered but said nothing. She was tracing a pattern, writing a story, perhaps, trying to reconnect all the scars, all the murmurs of his past._

 _"_ _I know so little of you", she let go in a soft sigh. "I just heard stories, here and then, of who you had become."_

 _Her fingers stopped on a pale streak, slid onto another one, waking fire on their path. Sasuke was barely containing his shivers as she was idly discovering his body, his own hands on his sides, letting her lead the way. Her conditions, her rhythm. He didn't want to frighten her, didn't want to desecrate her with his thoughts, didn't want to scare her away with the force of his rumbling deliberations, by showing her how much power she actually held on him in this moment, bathed in moonlight._

 _"_ _It doesn't matter", he finally answered in a low breath, nuzzling her neck, nibbling her soft skin as he went along._

 _Who had he become, really? Beaten boy, man on the roads, rônin, mercenary, man of many ways, man of many bodies. Was he really this man? Was this man even worthy of her? Those were hard questions, for a bitter morning to come. However, his nose in her hair, her scent invading his whole mind, her hands everywhere on him seemed to be begging him to come back to her._

 _"_ _I was hearing things too", he admitted. "I always kept an ear out for you. What you were becoming. Where you were. If you were safe."_

 _His hands came to snake up around her waist to squeeze her against him. She yelped softly, dragged onto his lap, before settling in. She was melting against him, all warm skin and scent of ink, blood and flowers. He buried his head in her hair, his lips resting somewhere under her ear._

 _"…_ _I lost track of you at the battle of Awazu. I heard Asano had brought you onto the battlefield with him, I heard he died. But no news of you, anywhere."_

 _The last words came as a strangled plea, a broken admission of weakness._

 _"…_ _I thought you were dead."_

 _At his words, Sakura shivered. Awazu and Asano – names burdened with misery and anxiety, a cold feeling pooling in her stomach._

 _"_ _What he did to you…" he squeezed her onto him even harder, as if this could be possible. His voice had become looming. "…I wish I was the one who ended his life. I would have had opened his gut for the crows to feast on. He would've known no peace, nor eternal rest. I would've…"_

 _"_ _Shh", a soft voice stopped him. "These are my burdens to bear. I am no longer the girl you've loved, nor I am broken. Not anymore."_

 _Sakura pried herself away from him and his crushing embrace, to look at him better, her hands cupping his regal jaw._

 _"_ _All of this… It was worth it. I would've done it again, and again, in a heartbeat. It made me stronger. It made me."_

 _Her thumbs were soothing against his high cheeks._

 _"_ _I am not a princess to save, nor I am what happened to me. I am strong, I am me, and I am here."_

 _Without allowing him time to reply, she took his lips in a mind-searing kiss. It was raw, unbridled, so far from the person she knew he thought of her._

 _But that girl was gone. She had waited, cried, fought, left a woman in her wake; and that woman wanted him and everything else that had been taken away._

 _She let go of him only when they were both panting, hands raking in her hair, hers across the expanse of his chest. She looked at him, breathless, that boy who was dead and reborn, eying her with such yearning, like nothing else existed. She wanted to dissolve, disappear, melt somewhere in-between his fingers and his lips, be his forever. His mouth was swollen and red from hers, and she felt as if her heart was lifting. A feeling of want, stronger than she ever felt before, made her roll her hips into him. He answered in a strangled groan, grabbing her waist firmly, both as if she was his anchor and his damnation._

 _"_ _So, now…" she whispered against his skin, her mouth resting sloppily against his temple, "… let me allow you to love me."_

 _At her words, Sasuke felt like a dam had broken down inside of his mind. The all-consuming, raging thoughts he had about the woman –the goddess, the princess, the queen, oh- on him were washed away by a new level of intensity, a fiery, urgent need to claim her, make her his, clouding every other roaring voice of reason._

 _His fingers were now digging in the soft flesh of her thighs, making her roll onto him, making her whimper and moan, making him go mad of her voice and the new, raw pitches he was discovering, small, precious treasures. He left her lips to plant heated kisses from the side of her jaw to the slope of her neck, and finally in the valley in-between her breasts, kissing, then nibbling where his mouth had access. He heard her moan as his tongue found the side of her breast, felt her hands rake the scalp of his hair as he took delicately a nipple in between his teeth through her bindings, nibbling then kissing with reverence and fervour._

 _And oh, how she gasped when he grabbed and tenderly squeezed at her bottom, how she begged and cried out his name when his fingers went past her underwear to stroke at the apex of her thighs, how they panted and moaned until the barrier of his hakama and her underwear became all too much. He soon lost all of the remaining control he had as they flipped onto the makeshift mattress, amongst what remained of their wet clothes, tangled legs and arms, kissing, and touching with renewed heat and tenderness. She wrapped her hand around him, hesitant and wanting, and it took everything he had to not come undone there. The red haze of his thoughts did not dissipate until she hurried him out of his remaining clothing, taking the sight of him inside her parted legs devoid of all clothing, long, white marvels, made for fighting and being kissed._

 _The sight of her and the flash of vulnerability in her wide jade eyes stopped him for a beat, and he leaned down on her to stroke her cheek, kissing everywhere his fingers had been, concluding by a long, delicate, soothing kiss. She was everything, everything he wanted, the best he could ever have. He could not ever stomach the feeling of scaring her, forcing her, not loving her the way she deserves._

 _When he finally took her, with the upmost passion, the most caring devotion, the fondness he thought he lost, he realised that it probably just stayed here, with her, this kindness and this love for her and her only, a feeling that now belonged to her as it had been for the past three years._

 _Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck to bury her face against his chest, listening to his rumbling heart, relishing in the scent of his skin and hers mixing together, the feeling of him inside of her as if he always belonged there, wiping away her fears and erasing the memories of her body being torn and used. Under his hands and his frame, she felt like she belonged, and pressed against him, the world was rewriting itself. There was no war, no violence, and swords remained unsheathed._

 _Everything was good._

* * *

Sakura hurried out of the room as soon as the assembly finished, with as much grace and elegance she could muster, her jūnihitoe rustling at all of her steps. The blow was hard, really hard. So few had come; so few of the lords that she needed to protect herself and her estate. From behind her decorated panel, she had seen Shinzo staring right at her, and she saw in his sharp, cerulean eyes the pain of being right, alongside a small, inviting smile. That look was haunting her, and, despite her best efforts, terrifying her.

Back in her quarters, she hurried past her maids, removing layers and layers of her dress as she was moving forward, under their indignant gasps.

"Madam, what if someone saw you… Madam, please!"

She couldn't breathe. She felt trapped, her dress feeling like a heavy armour dragging her under the water. She could almost taste it again, the muddy waters running through her throat and nose, she could almost feel her vision shrinking. She grabbed onto the edge of her desk, papers flying away, ink now spilled on the floor next to its porcelain pot. She felt as if the world was spinning, all of her contained thoughts storming back in. She remembered Asano, remembered the battle of Awasu, remembered the sensation of slowly leaving her body as darkness was closing in, under the surface of an unnamed lake. She remembered having her face smothered into a pillow to stifle her sobs, remembered unwanted hands and katana wounds piercing her soft skin.

Focusing on the pattern of a crane delicately carved on a cherry tree cabinet, she forced herself to breathe in long, slow takes. She felt as if her heartbeat was pounding in her head, as if she was going to burst open.

She had been played. There was no other option, now.

No option but to move forward.

She felt movement around her, her maids being scattered away in indignant gasps, she felt the strong presence of her three remaining allies.

The scent of a sun-soaked forest, desert wildflowers and citrus. Naruto.

Musk, soap, iron and vetiver grass. Kakashi.

And finally, finally, a scent clenching to her skin, wrapping itself around her body and mind, a scent she knew by heart, she had felt, tasted, and carried. Burning wood, dust, and crushed berries.

She turned around. They were all looking at her, equally distraught in their own way. Clenching firmly at the desk behind her, heaving for air, her small frame still twisted in her opulent drapery despite her best efforts, she took a few seconds to center herself. She had to find peace. She had to be strong. There was no other choice, no other choice but to fight.

There were her 3 allies. It was them against the world now.

They had to go to war.

"I will do it", she said.

They all took her in silently, waiting for the last words spilling from her little, crimson lips.

"I will marry Akamatsu. We are going to take Danzo down."

* * *

 _3 years ago_

 _Sakura woke up to the sound of birds chattering outside of their hideout, muffled by the stone walls and the covers all around her._

 _She was crushed against a bare torso, strong arms around her waist pressing her into a large frame. She opened one eye, then a second, taking in the softness of Sasuke's skin under her nose and lips, of their scents mixing together, a mix of dust, sweat, crushed berries and wildflowers. She tried to wiggle away, but was firmly stuck here, so she finally decided to press kisses where she was, barely moving, to finally lift her face to this of her very awake, very entertained lover. She couldn't help but smile widely, feeling as she was about to burst open._

 _"_ _Could we stay like his forever?" she asked._

 _"_ _Probably not", he replied. "But another minute, then."_

* * *

 _They had been walking since midday, after finally extracting themselves from their hideout. Sakura had not mentioned the case of the scrolls, simply stating that she was going back to the rebellion. Sasuke had followed in silence, which she took in as acceptance. She knew they were closing near to the rebel borders, and some scouts probably already saw them from beyond the mountains._

 _The air was getting thinner and colder, patches of fog running along the trail, carrying scents of the valley below, smoke and rain. As she was about to continue, she felt a cold hand grab her wrist softly. She turned around to look at Sasuke, her smile instantly fading at his closed-up expression._

 _Her instincts kicked in, and she turned to fully face him, realisation dawning on her._

 _"_ _You are not coming back", she said, more a statement than a question. "You just wanted me to be safe, and behind rebel lines." Her voice broke when she realised he had already taken the scrolls from her satchel. "You were never planning to come back with me."_

 _He looked at her, something deep and broken hidden away in those eyes she knew and loved so much. He ribbon was caressing her face as her hair was fluttering around from the mountain breeze._

 _"_ _There are still things I need to take care of", he started softly. "I need more power, to avenge my clan. Danzô can give it to me, now that the Snake has become useless._

 _"_ _Is that what I am? Useless to you?"_

 _Watching him, cold, unmoving, was breaking her apart, piece by piece, and she had yet to decide if she was furious or desolate. He did not answer her question, merely looking at her. It was as if he was battling for control, and she could almost feel the tremors of his own indecisions. She knew him too well, this boy posing as a man._

 _"_ _I won't let you go. I'll drag your unconscious ass to the rebellion if I have to."_

 _They both put a hand on the handles of their respective weapons, unsheathing them. Sakura felt her eyes water, burning her._

 _"_ _Please, don't make me do it. Come back. Naruto is waiting for you, and I don't think I can carry on another day without you by our side. We need you. I need you."_

 _Sasuke let go of his katana, to her relief, and took a step towards her. She took her weapon out, holding I with one hand at her side, as he walked to her until he was just a breath away. With the same aching slowness, he took in her face in both of his soft, calloused hands, to capture her in a searing kiss, her lips parting for him without any second thought. He broke the kiss as he started it, slowly, delicately, looking at her like she was the single, most incredible thing he had ever encountered. Her body was already aching for his, craved of his touch, and he whispered against her lips._

 _"_ _Please forgive me."_

 _A sensation, near her jaw, made her realise, but too late, that the scrolls weren't the only thing he stole from her satchel. A small sting, and, very quickly, a numbness invading her whole body._

 _"_ _Thank you", was the last thing she heard as she was falling, unconscious, in his open arms._

 _She couldn't help but to breathe him in one last time, pressed against his chest, her lips over his heart, before darkness took her in._

* * *

 _Sakura woke up to the sounds of a small group of rebellion fighters stirring her out of her drug-induced sleep. It only took her seconds for everything to come back. The kiss, the goodbye, the stolen scrolls._

 _So he had made his choice: power, over honour. Power, over her._

 _Naruto was amongst them, hovering over her, worried, checking for remaining injuries. She sat down in the grass, grasping for air, as she felt her shoulders tremble, wracking her form with the beginning of deep sobs she was desperate to keep in. The sheer force of her despair slammed into her as she was powerless to contain any of it. She had been so close. So close to bring him back._

 _Slowly, ignoring her friend, she dragged her knees up to her chest, her hands raking through her hair, and muffled her cries as she knew so well how to do, her mouth against the fabric of her hakama._

 _In her drowsy state, her nose caught in scents of dust, iron, and crushed berries, caught there in the cloth as reminders of what she had just shared; what had been taken away from her once more._

 _Her fingers hardened against her scalp as Sakura realised that for the second time in her life, Sasuke had left her behind._

* * *

"No."

Naruto growled in the room, closing the panels of her office behind him, shooing the maids away.

"No way you are doing this", he carried on.

"Naruto…" Sakura began.

"No. You listen to me. I'd rather stand guard here every day for the next ten years rather than having you marry that guy. It is not a good solution, and it will put you in danger."

"Plus, you'll have to stay at the capital, right under Danzo's nose. Without us", Kakashi added. "You can't stay here, you'll have to follow Akamatsu. Who will rule over the estate in your absence?"

"You will, Kakashi", Sakura answered.

Her hands grabbed the edges of her kimono to put it back, her breath evening out form her previous outbreak.

"Naruto will come with me, he has friends in the capital. I thought this through. This is our best option to take him down. One way or another, we can't do this from here."

"If you think I am leaving you, you are dead wrong." Kakashi said, moving one step forward.

"We have no other choice", Sakura pressed. "You have seen as much as me who was standing in this room. It is not enough to protect me from Danzo, we all know it. We need to be the smarter men here."

Kakashi took a step back, exhaling in frustration. She knew he had no other choice, he knew she was right. Naruto stared at him with the looks of a deceived man.

"Do not tell me you agree with her. Kakashi, not you."

Without even waiting for an answer, the blonde turned to Sasuke, who had stayed quiet, observing the scene without stepping in.

"And you? Now that she has risked everything to welcome you, you don't have to play the part of the long-lost lover, is that it?!", he growled.

Sasuke took a step forward, a hand on the handle of his sword. Sakura strode in-between them, breaking them apart.

"Enough! Naruto, you will respect my decision. I know the risks."

"We both know who you could ask help from."

Sakura's eyes widened, looking franctically around her, her eyes quickly landing on Kakashi and Sasuke before darting again to Naruto.

"We are not discussing this here", she bit out. "You know this is too early."

Sasuke said no word, but Kakashi's gaze became attentive.

"Oh no Sakura", Naruto interjected. "I think it is time we trust each other, fully. Let's drag them into this. I'll drag the whole country into this if it comes to it", he said, jabbing a finger at her, then pointing outside the rice panels. "She would never agree to this."

Sakura paused for a while, her eyes veiled with an odd mix of melancholy, fondness, and crushing despair.

"Even if I wanted to… There is no way Tsunade could move her troops fast enough. We have no plan. No scenario. Plus, I can't contact her in a secure manner, we have too many eyes resting on us", she added, her gaze turning to Sasuke.

Sasuke held her look, his onyx orbs piercing right through her. His silent stare was not reassuring, but she knew the man too little not to get suspicious. After all, and despite everything gravitating around them, there had been times where their priorities weren't aligned. She knew the bite of his treason, burning, raw, and deep, as if it was part of her own body.

"I'll go", the rônin finally said, and Sakura hated how much her heart lifted at those words. "For you. I'll go talk to Tsunade."

"So, while you and Naruto gather evidence and allies in the capital, I'll defend the estate and try to reach out to old friends. Sasuke, on the side, will talk to Tsunade and convince her to strike swiftly, as soon as you see an opening." Kakashi summed up.

The room fell silent, everybody holding their breath. The four of them looked at each other, realisation dawning on them. A strategy was shaping itself; dangerous, but clear, and here.

They all had to sacrifice something in order for this to succeed, but it finally felt as if Danzô was at the end of a thread.

Kakashi would have to sacrifice his life promise, by securing the estate and not following them to the capital.

Naruto would have to swallow his pride and his values, to gather allies in the dark and amongst the lords.

Sasuke would have to give up on whatever agenda he had and had to walk back to those he betrayed many years ago.

Sakura, on her side, would have to sacrifice everything else.

None of them said a word, as silence sealed their fates.

* * *

 _I am back, or, as my good friend Luke Skywalker would say "No one is ever really gone." Did you miss me? I sure missed you lots._

 _I have a job now, which explains that my life and will to leave are slowly being sucked into an endless void._

 _More seriously, I'll always keep on writing - it will just take a little bit longer._

 _Did you like this chapter? Let me know in the comments! They always mean the world to me._

 _Find me on tumblr - my name is lovelyuglypotato there (I lost all access to my former tumblr because I'm a very silly person). Anyways, right now it's mostly Star Wars stuff (did you read my "So Long, Princess" piece? I couldn't get it out of my head) but I'll always keep on announcing updates for all my works, and will gladly answer your questions._

 _Until then, I'm still around, still kickin'._

 _Love,_

 _uglypotato._


	7. Little bird no more

Chapter 7 – Little bird no more

 _"_ _The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent._ _"_

* * *

Friendly trigger warning : this chapter contains mention of rape and emotional abuse. Read safe my lovelies!

* * *

 _10 years ago_

 _"So, here is my lovely bride to be."_

 _The young girl was on her knees on a sumptuous wooden floor, keeping her eyes fixated on the cracks and spirals of the wood – was it oak? No, probably mahogany. The rich colour was keeping her thoughts and eyes away from the man on the platform in front of her. She was surrounded by her father and guards, little bird in an invisible cage, all dolled up indeed, covered in the finest materials and trinkets from her estate. Ready to be sold, and forgotten._

 _"Do not forget our deal, Lord Asano" Sakumo said calmly._

 _"We will not marry until she is seventeen, yes, yes, of course. It gives her a year to settle in the estate, learn about our ways, fit in properly to her role. Do not worry. She has many things to see."_

 _Sakura thought for an instant she heard her father breathe out in relief. It lasted maybe half a whisper, and she couldn't lift her eyes to check, but she knew him. She felt her skin crawl at the little laugh emanating from Lord Asano. He seemed so tall, on that platform, and it was as if, if she were to listen more carefully, she could distinguish power oozing from his tone, a delicate mix of control and bridled envy. She wanted to hide, run away, as far as possible, yet, it was already too late._

 _"Very well then. I'll escort my daughter to her new quarters, if you may. Thank you very much for your kindness, Lord Asano."_

 _Her father gestured to stand up, Sakura following a few seconds later, head down, clicking with the sound of her heavy headwear. Her legs were cotton, and she was grateful for the layers of dresses she was wearing, so that no one, she hoped, could see the tremors of her frail little body._

 _The sudden iron grip she felt on her arm, both reassuring and firm, made her realise otherwise. Her father, pretending to escort her out of the room, was actually lifting her away, helping her carry herself._

 _He did so even as the panels closed behind them, until they reached her new quarters. Gesturing to his guards, Sakumo entered alone with Sakura in the big room, finely ornamented, drawings of birds and wild animals adorning the refined paper panels all across the space, opening up to a private garden. When he let go of her, she collapsed on the floor, on her knees, heaving and keeping her lips firmly shut together to muffle her own sobs._

 _To her surprise, her father kneeled beside her, gently patting the back of her head. They remained silent for a while, her, staring at her hands, her vision blurring away with contained tears, him, his giant, calloused hand resting in her hair, as he did many times when she was a child. He didn't know what to say, she realised. He knew what was coming for her, he knew all about her true feelings, after that dreadful night at the estate. In some twisted, terrible way, the massacre of the Uchiha clan had made everybody forget about her genpachu, and Sasuke's statement. Who would care of two children, on the brisk of war?_

 _"I am sorry", he finally whispered. "We all have our duties. Your brother and I will fight. Here is yours."_

 _Sakura, looked up at her father, her eyes rimmed with red. She was a child, not yet on the verge of womanhood. She was too young, too fragile, Sakumo thought for an instant. But what other choice did they have? They couldn't declare war on all the clans. They had to preserve their honour._

 _"You are a warrior, just like your mother before you", he added cautiously. "May you have inherited her wisdom, for you already have her strength. You will need it, and you will make us proud, my little bird."_

 _Sakura was still silent, a war of thousand words passing through her eyes and on her so-expressive face. She had so much to learn, so much to know, to survive here._

 _"I don't want to be here", she whispered. "Take me to the battlefields with you. I'd rather die a sword in my hand than be with this man", she added, a broken murmur._

 _"All warriors must face unbearable challenges. May this be your last one."_

 _Sakumo stood up, her daughter reaching out to him, grabbing his hand in hers, a silent, last plea for freedom. He looked away, not sure if it was by duty or by shame._

 _"Goodbye, my little bird. May we meet again."_

 _He slowly, cautiously untangled his hand from her pale, cold fingers as if he was dislodging himself from the grasp of a corpse, and, without a look back, walked away to close the panels behind him._

 _He tried to not listen to her sobs, as he walked away._

* * *

The morning was a lost memory and the birds silent in the midst of the day, earth scattered by heavy wind.

The delicate rice panels were vibrating from the assaults of the small, dry storm outside, but Sakura's hands were not shaking as she poured some tea to Akamatsu, as he noticed, seating in front of her.

They were alone in a room made for tea ceremonies, tall and lightly decorated, pans of red fabric hanging on one side of the wall draping over the Haruno emblem.

He was looking at her in silence, his eyes drifting from her hands to her face, peaceful and quiet. It was as if he was trying to decipher an obscure parchment or enjoying a work of art; still unsure on which attitude to adopt.

It was Sakura who spoke first, once she gracefully gestured at Akamatsu to take his cup in hand.

"I wanted us to pursue our earlier conversation", she said softly, looking straight at him.

"A very good idea indeed, for we have many things to discuss. "

The man couldn't help but notice the way her plump lips were slowly curving as she blew on her tea without breaking the eye contact. He felt a cold shiver run against the back of his neck, like a caress – or the edge of a sword. He could sense it running through her veins, the anticipation, the ambition, the _hunger_. She was playing at his cords and speaking his language, her body instrument of her will, her mind his for the taking.

"Did you consider my offer?" he pursued.

"What exactly it is you have to offer me?" She asked. "How can I be sure you really are trying to take Danzo out – that you really are here to protect me?"

There it was. The bargaining. Was she really suspicious of him, or too desperate to consider anything else? The silence in the estate was telling – so few were here to protect her, after what had happened to her father and brother. She was caught, like a doe in hunting, hounds closing in.

"If you let me, I will show you. Let's go to court, together. I'll let you fit in, gain allies. I'll put you under my protection. When the time comes, I'll make you meet the right people – Tsunade still has friends in the capital, you know."

"I have no idea what you are talking about", she said at the mention of Tsunade, almost too quickly, he noticed.

"But you do, Suzume."

She stopped her motion, suddenly stiff. He smiled softly.

"Did you really think I did not make the connection between Tsunade's apprentice and you, my dear? We are on the same side – I could've told Danzo months ago of your real allegiances."

"And I would be dead", she said, somehow understating what he was getting at.

"And what a terrible waste that would be."

The rice panels vibrated again, bending against the assaults of the wind. She smiled again, this time mirroring him – there it was, that craving, yearning again, deep down in her jade eyes. Whether it was for power, or something else, anticipation was coiling in his gut, rolling in like a thunderstorm. This woman was everything he needed, and she was here, leaning under his thumb.

"Do we have an agreement then?" he murmured.

She took a sip of tea, the heavy fabric of her kimono revealing her slender wrists, pristine, tempting.

"We do. Take me to court, and, if I may ask…"

"Yes?"

She looked at him, and he felt it once more – the shiver.

"…Teach me, my lord. Everything you know."

The storm outside rumbled again as he agreed, muffling his words.

* * *

 _Nine years ago, at the Asano estate. _

_Sakura remembers very little of her own wedding, a pitiful maid having slipped a white powder in her tea that morning, trying to ease the sobs that had been wracking her frail little body for the past days._

 _She had barely registered being dressed and led to the ceremony, if not for Asano's look on her, a mix of satisfaction and ravenousness – a final display of power. The feast afterwards was a blur of plates and drinks and sweets she barely tasted, silent, broken, afraid, like a mouse facing a fox, too overcome by her own dread to think about running away._

 _When came the night, she had almost forgotten what was expected of her, despite a few hushed words slipped by her maids, despite some special treatment given to her almost reverently by her matrons that morning. She was too young, she thought, too young to understand, too young to be wanted like this._

 _Everything about Asano was cold – the way he spoke to her, looked at her – he oozed an iciness distinctive with men of too much power, men that took and took and never gave._

 _The way he had her was no different. As she was tossed and turned around and her ears were filled with grunts she did not understand, she remembered the clumsy, soft lips of a boy on hers, too faded to be nothing more than a treasured memory of the past._

 _"You are mine now", she heard Asano whisper in her ear, bringing her back on the soft tatami, to her limbs twisted in opulent sheets._

 _She wept in silence, lips pursed, for she understood this – this was her life, and no one was coming for her._

* * *

The estate was eerily silent on this side of the main house – Sakura and Kakashi were on the other, giving orders and instructions to the maids and personnel in order to organise what would become a delicate period for the Haruno domain. They had been going at it all day, and soon Sasuke found out that leaving them to it was probably the best thing he could do.

He was sitting stiffly on the porch, enjoying the icy wind and the last rays of sunlight caressing the gardens, stuck here as he was, in-between two things, trapped in momentum. He felt -and it was rare enough to note it – somewhat uneasy, as if time was wrapping around itself, like a mountain lion in hiding, waiting for something to shift.

Part of him wanted action, for action meant getting closer from seeking revenge, closer from his main purpose. There should have been no hesitation coming from him, not a waver, as this was the only way for him to get things moving and finally get the opportunity to get revenge on Danzô. Yet, he knew that tomorrow, everything would change: he would have to plead with Tsunade, Kakashi would remain here, and Sakura would go to the capital with Akamatsu. That last thought, beyond his own comprehension, made him feel apprehensive and weary. Thankfully, she would have Naruto to rely on -but when night would come, who would she find solace from?

Their last conversation had plunged him in a quiet wonder. He could not entertain any claim on her, yet knowing that she was once again ready to go through anything in order to take Danzô down made his stomach coil.

It was an odd mix of fear, and anger –this was never how things should have gone, not for her, not for them.

Footsteps pulled him out of his bleak reverie, and Naruto sat down on the ledge next to him without saying a word. He was carrying Sake and two glasses, pouring them in between their two bodies.

"You look miserable", he finally said, "even for you. Care to say what's on your mind?"

Sasuke kept silent, looking at Naruto whose cerulean eyes were turned to the last rays of light. He was reveling in the gentle caress of the winter's sun, painting his whole face gold. Uzumakis were the warriors of the rising sun, an ancient, powerful clan as old as his once was. Winter always took a toll on him when they were children, he remembered, but now the man next to him radiated power, even in a dampened state. Sasuke took the glass and repressed a small smile, his lips curving slightly in a smirk.

"Thanks", he simply said before drinking from his cup.

Naruto took his own glass before taking a sip, closing his eyes as if to breathe the sun in.

"You know… I've been around Sakura-chan long enough to know that she will be fine", the blond said. "She is stronger than ever, and if she is doing this it's for a good reason."

He emptied his glass before adding, more softly, as if walking on ice:

"You know … she won't let Akamatsu touch her. Not after everything."

Sasuke finished his glass in one swift move and slammed it back on the wooden porch. The sound echoed in the hollow gardens as he looked away.

"It's not what it is."

"Yeah, sure, you idiot. It's not."

The man turned to look at Naruto, only to see that his old friend was smiling, somewhat sadly, looking at the inside of his glass.

"You weren't here when Tsunade got her back from Asano. You can't possibly understand."

"I know enough. The rumors…"

"… Were partial. We kept… most of the truth hidden, to protect her."

The two men sat in silence, contemplative as the sun disappeared from their view, its soft, dying light only remaining. Behind them, lamps lit up by the servants made the rice panels glow, casting their shadows into the gardens.

"I've seen her mark."

"It's not all", the blonde offered.

"Then tell me."

"All of it?"

"All you can."

* * *

 _Eight years ago_

 _The room was empty as Sakura was heaving, sweat glistening on her uncovered skin, as she turned, tossed, parried, and smacked the training mannequin with her wooden sword._

 _She had learned many things over a year. She had learned how to run an estate, learned the ways of diplomacy, learned how to bow and how to lead, how to properly present herself and how to speak – but she also had learned everybody's schedules._

 _Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, swirling around her as she turned to hit the mannequin, focused on her footwork the way she remembered practicing it with Kakashi, for what felt like a lifetime ago._

 _She knew no one was near the guards training facilities in the middle of the afternoon, and with that knowledge and the assistance of one of her maids guarding the entrance, she had taken the habit of expelling her frustrations during that hour – hers and hers only, without anyone's looks on the back of her neck. She was herself in that moment – someone nobody here had ever seen, her own, strong, fiery self._

 _She didn't hear as the door slowly slid open, didn't hear as someone skimmed behind her. Her back bumped into a hard chest and she stopped immediately, lowering her training sword. Dread was starting to fill her as she recognized that presence, all-encompassing and cold. She said nothing, too petrified to even turn around._

 _Hands snaked around her waist, slowly climbing up to her bandaged chest, resting one moment here as to claim something, then along her arms to her wrists, encasing her hands._

 _She felt a mouth at the back of her ear, lingers of a breath at the nape of her wet hair._

 _"Your form is poor" Asano said._

 _She tried to turn around to free herself, bow and apologize to him in a last attempt to preserve this moment as her own, but his stance was unmoving and he only encased her further in his arms when she tried to move._

 _"I am sorry, my lord", she started to babble. "I was just fooling around, I…"_

 _"Do it again, slower", he interrupted her._

 _She stopped for a heartbeat, slowly understanding what he was getting at. Was this real? She slowly lifted her sword in a stance and started moving, guided by the arms of her husband, making her aim higher, swoosh bigger. His hands encompassing hers were so tightly squeezing she felt her blood pumping right under her skin, and, as he corrected her, he slid a leg behind hers, correcting her footwork._

 _It was easy to forget, to not see the man as anything else but an administrator, but Asano's riches and might came in the art of war. She could feel it, his strong body pressed against hers, dominant, unrelenting, strong as stone._

 _He had discovered her secret – what was he going to do to this tiny piece of freedom she had managed to keep away from him? Was he going to forbid her from fighting? Was he going to punish her, and if so, what would she have to brace for? He made her understand this, in the past year: as soon as she was submissive to him in any way, she was free in all others._

 _He made her speed up her movements, her strikes and swishes, before letting go of her. Uncertain of how this was about to go, she turned around to see that he was letting go of his haori and taking up a training sword._

 _"My lord?" she asked hesitantly._

 _She lowered her sword – a mistake. He stroke her on her bare shoulder, and she felt the sharp pain of the wood slamming against her skin._

 _"Guard up", he said, moving around her._

 _"But, my lord…"_

 _He stroke again, this time on the thigh. She muffled a cry, in-between a sob and a plea._

 _"Guard up. Mind your feet."_

 _She looked at him, pain ebbing in her body, before clumsily raising her sword again. He hit her sword without an effort, before smacking her shoulder again. This time, her cry was loud, and a bruise was starting to appear._

 _"Guard up. Elbows out."_

 _When the next strike came, Sakura was ready. He wanted to fight, well, she was going to give him what he wanted. She parried his move, sliding under his guard to strike at his ribs. She didn't see his own sword, diverting her strike at the last second, before attacking again. She escaped the hit by moving away, panting, alert._

 _"Better. Put more weight in your knees, less in your feet. Elbows in, wrists up for this strike."_

 _She didn't even get to retort as the next attack on herself was ruthless – but so was she. Under his strokes and hits she felt anger rising, a strong, powerful fire threatening to invade her whole body. She lost some focus, but what she missed in experience she doubled in rage. She parried, again and again, waiting for an opening that was never coming. At each missed strike, every hit on her skin, smacking on her body glistening with sweat, at every move of him that did not seem to cost him any energy, she attacked more and more, until she saw it._

 _His ribs were open for her to strike. Without hesitation, she plunged and, in a large circular movement, delivered a swift blow._

 _His hand wrapped around the wrist holding her sword like she was nothing but a child, dragging her to him and her sword away from his body. Asano's sword was resting against her throat as she was once again in his arms, so close to him she could feel his breath on her nose and lips._

 _She was heaving, trying to calm down and gather her breath in long pants while he looked like he barely broke a sweat._

 _"Yield", he murmured against her face, as she felt her skin crawl and shiver all at once from his proximity._

 _His cerulean eyes were piercing right through her, domineering and hungry. It took her a few seconds, but she let go of her sword, falling on the tatami behind him._

 _He let go of her hand, the other one at his waist, pressed in between their bodies, holding the sword against her throat. She felt the wood press a little harder against her skin, as his free hand shot up to cusp her face._

 _His thumb traced the outline of her lips, and she parted them, compliant. She had learned many things, in one year. How to fake and how to please, how to pretend satisfaction to be safe. He didn't smile, but slid his thumb in her mouth, right on top of her teeth. She didn't move a muscle, petrified and waiting, trying to see how this would go._

 _He removed his thumb, tracing her cheek with her own saliva from the tip of his finger. Marking her – claiming her._

 _"Go to my quarters now", he murmured looking at her cheek, almost pensively. "Wait for me there."_

 _She stepped away from him as he released his pressure on her body – she would've been trembling like a leaf only months ago, but for her it was now practise._

 _As she was walking away, and before she exited the room, she heard him say:_

 _"Be good, and training will start tomorrow."_

 _Anger rose in her throat as she realised what was happening – what had been hers was now his. Like everything – her mind, her body, her life._

 _But she bowed deeply, and whispered:_

 _"Thank you, my lord. I'll be waiting."_

* * *

The estate was finally asleep. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had spent the last hours of the nights happily debating and drinking together in one of the private rooms of Sakura's quarters, enjoying these last few moments they had, free of doubt and fears, free of social obligations and codes of honor.

They knew that the next day would only bring goodbyes and sorrow, so they just drank to forget, and laughed until their throats were sore - until late hours in the night.

They all had gone to bed, but Sasuke couldn't sleep. After what Naruto told him, filling in the gaps of what he heard and Sakura had whispered, he found himself unable to close his eyes and drill himself to sleep as he usually did. Restless, he decided to take a walk and stand guard in the estate, for his own sanity.

His steps took him in the gardens after long minutes of endless hallways and empty patios. It was nearly a full moon, and it was as if the gardens were shining, the last layers of snow dancing under the bleak rays of light, the wind playing with the shadows of the trees like a hundred brash spirits.

He lost himself in the contemplation of the swiveling shadows until he heard crunches, small footsteps, almost those of a bird, too light to fully leave an track in the snow. He followed that sound, careful to not let himself be seen or heard and soon reached a large space in front of two open panels glowing softly from candles being lit inside the room. He recognized that room as Sakura's private quarters and, chastising himself for merely invading her privacy, was about to walk back when an amused voice behind him made him turn around.

« We've got to stop meeting like this », she lightly joked.

Sakura was here in training clothes, and, from the layer of sweat glistening on her skin, looking like she tried to fight her own insomnia with exercise herself.

« Couldn't sleep? » he asked.

« I rarely do, lately. And sake makes me restless. I tried to wear it off a bit before going to bed. »

« I see.»

She crossed her arms in front of her torso, barely covered in a modesty band, and he could barely repress a shiver. Her long hair was askew around her face, but she was as beautiful as ever, maybe more - she was her own, unbridled self, and part of Sasuke was drawn to the power and confidence she exuded in that instant.

« Care to join me? It will be better with a sparring partner », she offered. « Plus, I did loose a fight against you in a garden at night that I still want revenge for. »

He let out a dry laugh, not wanting to know whether she was referring to their fight or the kiss that ensued. This moment, many years ago, was imprinted in his mind, still searing with regret - did they really had to go down that path, destroy each other a little bit more, just to draw near this pull, this sigh of the universe that seemed to unravel every time they were close to each other?

Seeing that she was serious, and unarmed, he carefully rested his weapons against the trunk of a nearby tree and removed his haori to match her clothing. He positioned himself, palms up in front of him.

« As you wish, hime. »

Sakura, if flustered by his words, said nothing. Instead, she bolted, all too eager to strike, and Sasuke had to adjust to, not only her speed, but the sheer strength of each of her strikes. As she was moving forwards, aiming for the jaw or the ribs, turning and pivoting, Sasuke was parrying and avoiding, but mostly looking at her, all shining eyes and glistering diamond seal, strong muscles and soft skin slapping against his own.

They got closer and closer, dancing under the moonlight more than fighting, as he fell into rhythm with her, blow for blow, suspended in-between shadows, the moon either hiding them or revealing them in all their symmetry. They were twin flames, made to burn alongside each other, barely stepping on the snow before jumping away, hitting their opponent, sliding against each other, grasping hands, arms, almost leaning into each other as two lovers should fight.

Their breaths got labored, and, as they were slowing down, their strikes became softer, their blows nearly turning into caresses. He could read it in her eyes, the adrenaline edging into fear, and love, and regret - he could see that she was asking herself the same question as him - were there going to die away from each other?

He saw an opening in her stance, and, as he parried a solid palm strike from her, grabbed her arm to edge it away from their bodies. His other arm came snaking around her waist to stop her from moving away, his fingers splayed on the small of her back, feeling all of her strong body against his, in a painful reminder of everything they had lost.

It was the closest he got from her since that night many years ago, and, as his body moulded hers into him like two perfect pieces, he was set aflame by the irony of it all, the sheer perfection that there were, like this, against each other, under the moon, in the coldness of snow, radiating heat and power and completion in every step they were making together.

She was looking at him like he like he held many keys to her soul, like he was fire on a winter's night. She was breathing against him, each and every gulp of air she was taking edging her closer to him, this miracle made woman, this princess of everything. All of it, all of he was - it had always been hers, always belonged here, and this truth only struck him when they were like this, tiptoeing on the verge of greatness.

He pressed a scorching kiss at the nape of her neck, unable to help himself, and heard a strangled moan escaping her lips. He let his wet lips trail here for a few seconds, inhaling her, his hand holding her arm stretched to engulf her palm, as her hand found her way into his hair, raking at his scalp.

They stood like this, on the border of something else, nearing each other and wanting each other so much that it was tearing them apart. Two lost kids finding their way towards each other, man and woman with already too much to tell.

They both clawed their way out of their embrace, the world spinning and the shadows of the trees around them dancing on their skins. The looked at each other and held hands for what seemed only a whisper, not saying a word, not moving away from each other. Soon their skins cooled down, their beating hearts letting room to the shivers of the wind.

Sasuke, seeing Sakura's skin tremble under his calloused fingers, took his haori from where he left it to wrap it around her frame. He took in her face, all fierce and soft and open like she was to no one but him, and, caressing her forehead, poked lightly on it with two fingers, in a way she couldn't know about but took everything from him to give to her, taking a small piece of a past where he was happy to her, as a promise, as a present.

« See you next time », he whispered.

She didn't say a word as they parted. Only remained in the gardens a few footprints, and the glow of the moon.

* * *

 _Seven years ago_

 _The Asano estate was rumbling. There was no other word, Sakura felt, that could describe best the state of low murmurs and worried whispers running around since this morning. She had to scold two maids already who were on the verge of tears and neglecting their duties, as her role supposed, but her own stomach was twisting and turning. She couldn't eat and couldn't focus, for the land of Fire had just brutally changed leadership._

 _The Slug queen, Tsunade-sama, had been overthrown by allied forces coming from the Northern and Eastern kingdoms, the lands of mist and realms of warriors. These troops however, had precious help from the inside – and Danzô, one of the counsellors of the former daimyô, had risen, his coup carefully orchestrated from the shadows._

 _Sakura, when hearing the news, had felt sick- the Harunos were one of Tsunade's allied clans, and she was terribly worried for her brother and father. She hoped that the knowledge of her marriage as an Asano would be enough to protect them and the estate – or desolation would strike and ruin them all._

 _She despised Danzô for the simple reason she knew he was one of her husband's reliable allies, and knew for a fact, listening to hushed conversations and reading his diplomatic scrolls, that the Asano clan had been helping Danzô's rise to power, despite their cousin's clan, the Naras, being strongly affiliated to the former ruler. The degree of her husband's implication was still unclear to her, as he was still keeping many things under locks, but she felt like this coup was his undoing – otherwise, why would him and all his military counsellors being locked in the main room of the estate right now?_

 _She was pacing in her quarters, asked to be left alone to give an impression of peace she could no longer muster. How were her friends? The Uzumaki, the Nara, the Yamanaka, the Hatake… All allies to the Slug queen, just like the Haruno. She was praying with all her heart that they were safe, that they found allies or hiding, that they could soon get in touch with her. Her letters to Ino and Naruto had found no answer in the past months and she was starting to worry that, by now being an Asano, she would soon find herself completely alone, ostracized from dear friends, at the top of a pyramid where everyone else was dead._

 _She sat down on a mahogany chair in front of a small desk, near the rice panels opened to her private gardens to gather some air. The wind was quite warm, even for May, and the last of the sakura trees were loosing their blooms. The young woman was watching them being carried away by the breeze, over the high walls of the gardens until she couldn't keep up with them, too far from sight. She reached into her cabinet to pull out a delicate lacquered box, one of the many presents gotten to her for her eighteenth birthday a couple months ago. This one, however, had been her favorite - this little box, big enough to fit only a few items, had a secret compartment she nearly missed the first time she got to open it. It was perfect, in many ways, and the most precious thing as someone had been acute enough to get her exactly what she needed : secrecy. No one knew of this compartment except her, and no one in the estate ever managed to trace it back to the buyer. Only a golden crane was drawn on the box painted all black, and it had been a puzzle she had no time cracking just yet._

 _Sakura opened the box, setting aside letters from her father, a golden comb and a small necklace. Opening the secret compartment, she pulled out a red ribbon she had not laid eyes upon in a very long time. She let it slide between her thumb and index, revealing in the delicacy of the fabric. How was he, right now? What was he doing? Was he even alive?… Last time she heard rumors of the last Uchiha, it was rattled with mystery and dead bodies. A gust of wind surged into the room, nearly tearing the ribbon from her grasp. It flew in front of her face, caressing her cheek and wrapping itself around her for the briefest of moments - and she felt like a coil in her stomach, a nearly imperceptible shiver - like a warning._

 _Following her guts she very quickly hid the ribbon back into the compartment, covered it with the comb, the necklace and the letters, and slammed it shut before putting the box away on her desk. No more than a few seconds later, she heard a strangled gasp from her chambermaids outside of the rice panels and stood up, grabbing her practice katana strapped under her desk, unsheathing it and bolting for the entrance._

 _Her whole body was tensed as she was trying to catch up with the sounds outside of her quarters, but everything was awfully quiet - she could barely hear some footsteps retreating away from her, but, strangely, nothing else. She grasped the handle of her katana and stopped her breathing, waiting._

 _The rice panels slid open and it was only her intense focus that made her stop her motion as it was no other than Asano himself stepping uninvited -but was he ever - in her quarters. She let go of the katana immediately and it fell to the floor in a dull thump._

 _« My lord » she whispered._

 _He looked at her, the katana on the floor then back to her disheveled figure, where rage and adrenaline were fading to shame and surprise._

 _« Feeling threatened, my little bird? » he murmured._

 _Sakura took one long breath, then stood taller._

 _« You've invited dangerous men here. The estate has been askew, my maids won't listen to me, and you are nowhere to be seen. There is much to feel worried about. »_

 _She was trying her best to gather her spirits and please the man she could not read the mind of, despite her best efforts. Why had he come here now? What was it she could feel about him that seemed off, that glimmer in his eyes, of hunger, bordering towards madness? She eyed the katana on the floor._

 _« But threatened, no, my lord - not with this » she said as she pointed at the weapon with her chin._

 _His features seemed to relax, soften, somehow, before getting back to their usual fashion._

 _« Good », he said simply._

 _He snapped two fingers and suddenly her maids were everywhere, carrying two trunks with them and started to gather around Sakura, steering her in the middle of the room, the trunks in-between her and the doors to her gardens. She eyed Asano cautiously, but the man betrayed nothing of what was going on in his mind._

 _« Tomorrow », he started, « the estate will go to war. Our cousins, the Naras, have allied with Tsunade's rebellious forces and are currently trying to retreat her and her men towards the outer regions. The Asano, as precious allies of our new daimyô, Danzô, were tasked to crush their troops in their escape »_

 _At the mention of the Naras, Sakura's heart sank. All of her friends were probably running for their lives now, and the irony of the Asanos being their pursuers stung deep._

 _« Aren't the Naras our cousin clan, my Lord? » She asked while looking at her husband. « Surely Danzô is testing our loyalty by asking you to pursue them. »_

 _« Our loyalty to the daimyô is without doubt », Asano replied tersely. « But I concede - it is a test of spirit. »_

 _Sakura nodded to hide her spinning thoughts. How were Shikamaru, Ino and Choji? She couldn't stomach the perspective of anything happening to them._

 _« So, how long will you be gone for? » Sakura asked, barely paying attention to her maids opening one of the trunks and emptying its contents somewhere behind her._

 _« We are marching on Seta right now, where our general will join us. Then, when camp is made, we will strike, somewhere near Awazu, probably - in about a week. »_

 _The young woman was looking beyond her private gardens, lost in thought._

 _« So long without your presence here, my Lord », she managed to whisper._

 _« This is not all », Asano said, and Sakura whipped her head at him, recognizing a sharp edge to his voice she knew all too well._

 _« Ladies, please proceed », he ordered her maids._

 _« It might be better if Asano-sama were to wait outside of the room », the oldest maid quipped._

 _« I said, proceed », he said sharply. « Do not make me repeat. »_

 _Sakura watched in cold horror as her maids started stripping her from her clothes, removing her jewelry and her hairdo to leave her in undergarments, a modesty band on her torso and loose cloth pants._

 _« My Lord, what is this? » she asked in a voice strained from the effort of not making it tremble._

 _He did not grant her an answer, and watched her as her maids pulled her hair into a long ponytail, and started dressing her again, in heavier garments she didn't recognize. They tied a padded top around her waist and similar-looking arm pieces, then a leather piece, slit for movement, around her waist. They then clipped golden metallic pieces around her entire frame as she was slowly realizing what she was being dressed into._

 _It was an armor._

 _Once their job was done, Sakura could barely breathe - not from the weight of her suit, that was surprisingly easy to breathe and walk into once all pieced together, but rather from the realization of it all._

 _« You want me to come with you », she said in a whisper._

 _« You shall join us at Seta, then will march at my side during the Awasu battle », he confirmed while slowly moving towards the second trunk, longer and smaller._

 _« But my lord, I am … » she started, a feeling of panic oozing in her gut._

 _« … Not trained enough? You are more skilled than most of my men. … A woman? I thought you'd be happy, for once, not to be stuck in here, to see what is happening outside of these walls. »_

 _Sakura remained silent, her eyes now focusing on the high walls at the end of her gardens._

 _« … Unless you were about to say that you were not loyal to our new daimyo… or to me. In that case, we will need to address this matter in a very different way », he completed, looming above her._

 _Her maids had retreated from her quarters, probably obeying an order from her husband she didn't see. Her blood ran cold. Of course she wasn't. Of course she would've, if given the choice, run back to her father, brother, and friends. Of course she wasn't thinking about Asano when forced to share his bed, of course she would've gone in a bat of an eye._

 _« No, my lord. I am yours and faithful to our daimyo », she said weakly. « I was worried that having me at your side, untrained to the art of war would've put you in a difficult position is all. »_

 _Asano said nothing, apparently satisfied by her answer, and opened the trunk. Inside was a sword, the most beautiful weapon Sakura had ever laid eyes on. The handle was a mix of ivory and gold, the saya (sheath) was finely decorated, small birds scattered by the wind painted on the lacquered wood and covered with golden leaves. After and insisting look from her husband, she unsheathed it, and the blade sang along the saya while being uncovered. Sakura gasped - a sakura branch was engraved along the blade, its leaves and flowers nearing the sharp edge of the blade. It was a gorgeous work of craftsmanship. She gave it a few experimental swings under the appreciative eye of her husband, then looked at him._

 _« This blade is almost too beautiful to ever see a battleground », she couldn't help but saying._

 _« So are you - but our world works in cruel ways », Asano murmured, looking at her with a cold craving she knew too much._

 _Sakura suppressed a shiver, too focused as she was on looking at the blade. She couldn't help but feeling numb and used - but the past few years had taught her many things._

 _« When am I leaving? » She asked softly, putting back the sword in its sheath._

 _Asano was already on the move, nearing her door._

 _« In two days. I'll see you tonight - we are hosting our allies' counsellors, and I expect you to take part in the military discussions during dinner. After all, you have much to catch up on. »_

 _« Yes, my lord », she said, bowing._

 _He left her alone in her quarters, still geared up for war, holding her new katana. What the future held for her was uncertain - and she did not look forward to meet any familiar faces on the wrong side of the battlefield. But what other choice did she have? After all, she carried her cage with her wherever she went. Will she ever be free?_

 _Before her maids came back to her room, she took the red ribbon from her box and hid it in the folds of her armor. It was as if keeping this secret hidden was the only thing helping her steer away from madness. Now, she was ready to face anything they would throw in her way._

 _She was going to war, then._

* * *

Kakashi, when walking towards Sakura's private gardens, was painfully aware that he might not see her again in a very long time. He was always of very cool demeanor, mostly under pressure, but these past few days were culminating now, as he was supposed to take over the estate for Sakura while watching her leave towards danger - and, despite his fondness for Naruto, he highly doubted that his diplomatic skills had gotten any better in the past few years.

One of Sakura's maids, the oldest and her most trusted, was waiting for him as per usual, opening the sliding doors towards the patio they were always conducting their early meetings.

This time, however, as the panels slid, Kakashi saw that Sakura was different - first, she was lightly dressed for travel purposes, her long hair in a high ponytail and her clothes men-like, ample and lightly padded. Second, she was sitting down on the porch, enjoying tea that was also waiting for him in a steaming cup.

He sat down in silence, eyeing her, almost with curiosity - rare were those moments were she was so unguarded, so raw - and it seemed as he was watching the woman in front of him, she was both the girl he knew and something she was right on the verge of becoming. He could better see the light tan of her skin, probably from training outdoors, the definition of her muscles, the strength in her jaw - all attributes of a warrior usually concealed under careful layers of makeup - something she didn't need this morning ; all the guests gone for the capital ahead of them.

She turned to face him and he couldn't help but rise his eyebrows in surprise. He could see, proudly displayed on her forehead, the Princess' seal. He heard things, and somehow was expecting it, but seeing it here on her skin seemed to put everything in perspective.

« It does make my forehead look smaller, doesn't it? » she teased lightly.

He let out a small laugh before lowering his mask to drink from the cup of tea. It was Sakura's turn to gasp, looking at his uncovered mouth. He raised an eyebrow jokingly.

« Yes, I do have a mole on my chin. I think Naruto owes you money. »

« He's never going to believe me. »

« Probably not. »

They both stayed quiet, enjoying each others' presence for a few minutes, sipping tea in the cool breeze. The sun was rising and its cold rays were stretching beyond the horizon, caressing the gardens lazily and warming their skins.

« So, what now? » He asked, breaking the silence.

« There are several things we need to discuss, before I go », she replied softly. « First, but you already know this, I've been Tsunade's apprentice almost since she saved my life at Awasu. I've sworn an oath to her, that involves this estate, in case of war, that I cannot and will not break. By ruling this estate, you are now back under her protection, and part of her network. She will probably send one of hers here to reach out to you once she hears that I'm moving to the Capital. »

Kakashi merely nodded, listening to her instructions.

« She trusts you, you know. And so do I. You will do amazing here, I am sure of it. But, there is also something you must know. »

« What is that? »

« Two things. First is that my scouts have seen movement at the border of the estate, and whispers. Akatsuki is nearby. We don't know what they want, they have been pretty quiet for the past few months, but it can't be good. Please be careful. »

« You know me. I don't trust anyone. I'll look into it myself, under the radar, of course. »

Sakura breathed slowly, smiling softly. She however turned away from him, suddenly concerned.

« The last information I'm about to give you… Is the reason why I think you should stay here. »

Kakashi straightened.

« What do you mean? »

« There were only rumors at first, only whispers. But Tsunade got confirmation and her network reached out today, and… »

She took one deep breath, then looked at him, his deep charcoal eyes and soft features - was it why he was always wearing a mask? There was something about him, so irremediably human and alive, something untamed that maybe, was easier confined behind layers. She, in a way, understood that.

« Kakashi… It's Obito. He's alive. »

* * *

 _Seven years ago, Awazu battlefield._

 _The cries and the shouting had finally stopped, and the field was silent except for the crows feasting on bodies let in the open air to rot. They had marched at dawn on Awazu, planning for a swift victory. Danzo's forces were expected to join them at the most crucial part of the battle, taking Tsunade's forces on the flank and crushing the Naras on their path._

 _Except they didn't._

 _The battle had been a long, exhausting bloodbath. Their forces were outnumbered, and Asano, feeling his death looming, had tried to order for retreat. The Naras had encircled them, and soon began a long siege were their forces were pushed either towards the river or onto themselves, piling up the living and the dead without distinction._

 _Sakura had fought and fought for her life, ignoring her muscles being torn and wounds being opened, climbing on top of bodies and horses and enemies to always keep on living, parrying, slashing, killing the way her husband had taught her to._

 _And what a pretty little job he did with her - she was all shiny armor and killing blows, she could feel her power oozing from her limbs and her sword. It was as if here was a pool of strength, right here, under her skin, and she was teasing with it, nearly reaching it, and each and every stroke at it made her strong like a thousand soldiers._

 _However, after hours of battle, Asano had taken her with their his private guards, thinned out to a dozen of exhausted men, to try to carve a path through the battle and escape. Their attempt had been stopped, and she had felt the sudden weight of a horse and its rider fall on her. Before she could react, her head ringing and spinning wildly, another corpse collapsed on top of her heavy armor, trapping her._

 _Before all her consciousness faded, all Sakura coud see was a tiny drop of sky, blue, fed by the rays of a high, proud sun._

 _Ironic, to die in the mud in such a beautiful weather, she had thought before passing out._

 _As she was only coming back to her senses now, with no sense of passed time, the first thing that struck her was the utter silence surrounding her. Not a breath nor a shout, nothing but blissful, frightening silence._

 _She extracted herself cautiously and with much effort from under the pile of bodies that had hidden her, and, centimeter by centimeter, crawled on top, aiming for that patch of blue sky she could still see._

 _Once she managed to climb out, she got up slowly, her legs aching and unsteady. As she looked around, her heart clenched. There were nothing but bodies left in the open air, flags torn, pikes and swords broken on the floor. Her head was still spinning wildly, and she felt a surge of panic nearly swooping her in._

 _She looked at her hands, clamped in her rich armor, all alone in the middle of this mass graveyard. She had blood everywhere. Under her nails, in the folds of her skin, on her face, in her nostrils. Each breath she took smelled of iron, burnt skin and death. She desperately tried to wipe herself clean, seeking her pure, precious, white little hands everyone kept complimenting her for, but it was as if there were stained, tainted, crimson forever. Her jade eyes were desperately coursing on the corpses around her, looking for something familiar, for softness, fondness, support, anything._

 _This was when she found Asano._

 _As she looked at him, his bloody face, eyes still open that were piercing right through her soul even in death, she felt a shiver. All that might, power, riches, to end up as another body on the battlefield, every bit as empty as the others, every bit as unknown. That thought, against all odds, comforted her. She was alive and he wasn't._

 _She was alive._

 _Removing her helmet and letting her hair flow freely, she raked her own hands through her tresses to untangle them. Her pink, precious, pretty hair was drinking the scarlet of her hands and dyeing with the mark of blood. She took one long, powerful breath, and exhaled, soothed. The smell of blood couldn't unsettle her anymore: she was the last soul alive on that battlefield, and the simplicity of that realization made her thrive._

 _She unsheathed the sword Asano gave her, pure beauty and craft, bloodied with their enemies' remains, to plant it at her feet, next to the Lords' head. She did not want it, not anymore. She turned her back away from the cadaver of her former husband, lover, and tormentor without a second look. The young woman could not handle his stare even from the other realm, much more like she couldn't have had for the past two years._

 _She removed her armor, piece by piece, her delicate fingers ripping on the wet tiles, her body too sore to move properly. The wind was blowing furiously while she was undressing in a mountain of cadavers, whistling at her ears like a disapproving matriarch. She kept her kimono, pants and boots, and, leaving it all here, near the open, blue eyes of what used to be one of the most powerful rulers of the nation, she started walking. It was one step after the other, slow, steady, and measured, every meter dragging her away from this torture and this sight. Every muscle in her body ached, and she felt blood running down her temple and right side. It was minor, she could feel it, but each move was painful. Step after step, rolling and sometimes falling down on corpses, she kept on walking towards the edge of the forest, where she knew she could find help._

 _She felt nothing. Not an ounce of guilt, pain, or despair when faced with the death of her husband. She was simply focused on walking away – from him, from this life, from everything he made her endure. Every single fibre of her being was screaming, but she was here, the pretty statue, the beautiful doll, the flawless toy, walking away from everything._

 _Just one more step, she kept on thinking, as her feet were rolling on heads and discarded weapons._

 _One more step._

 _One more step._

 _You belong to me, he kept on saying._

 _Not anymore._

* * *

Sasuke stopped in his tracks, feeling the cold press of a katana blade against his throat. It had taken them long enough, he thought – he had seen the scouts almost an hour ago, hearing them following him as he was walking deeper and deeper into rebellion territory.

He had nearly reached the natural enclosure wall surrounding their main hideout, a high mass of mountain pillars, uneven and steep, offering a perfect vantage point for Tsunade's troops on this side of the valley.

Ignoring the scouts closing in, he had walked closer and closer to the wall, disregarding the icy wind and the poor visibility the incoming snow storm was providing. His eyes kept studying the folds and collapses of the rocks above – did he have to climb them bare-handed to finally get noticed?

The man behind him was followed by a small troop – based on the sound of footsteps, the rônin had counted less than 15 people behind him. Swords unsheathing and bowstrings being pulled confirmed his initial thought: they were 12.

A brown-haired man with red markings emerged from behind a rock uphill, followed by a wolf-like white dog. He stood in front of the rônin, eyeing him with what could have seemed like tranquillity, his hands on his hips. The glint of his small sword, behind his back, confirmed however that the man was ready to strike if anything were to happen.

"You better have a good reason for coming back here, traitor" he spat.

Sasuke didn't dignify him with an answer, still looking ahead of the man, somewhere above in the boulders.

"Oi! Sasuke! Are you seriously ignoring me right now?" Kiba Inuzuka carried on.

Shadows shifted in the mountains, somewhat uneasy. The name of the last Uchiha had that effect, forbidden and cursed, bringing cold winds, blood and iron. He finally turned his onyx eyes to the man in front of her, sighing softly.

Kiba Inuzuka - he had brief memories of the man, or rather, the boy, as he had been in training at the Hatake estate. However, the Uchiha had no sympahy for him ; simply memories.

"I'm here to see the Slug Queen", he stated.

"Tsunade-sama won't answer to you, Taka. After what you've done, there is no room for a man like you in here. Turn around, or we'll have to kill you."

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk slightly, his eyes turning red for just a second, making Kiba take a step back. The man felt the edge of the katana at his neck, without a doubt held by a man he had no intention to look at, waver slightly.

Kiba pulled his wakizashi, putting it in front of him, in a defensive stance. Next to him, his wolf-dog growled, ready to pounce.

"I said, turn around. This is my last warning to you."

Sasuke, who already had his hand on the handle of his katana, let go in a whisper. He looked at the rocks above one more time, and this time roared with an echo low enough to make the earth around them rumble and shiver:

"Tsunade! Show yourself – Suzume needs you!"

A moment of silence stretched as the cold wind himself seemed to have taken a halt. Kiba and his men were looking around them, troubled and unsure of which way to go. Sasuke's eyes remained on the top of the pile of rocks, where, after what seemed an eternity, three silhouettes emerged from.

Two men, wearing the same high ponytail – the Naras, high counsellors of the Queen.

And, in the middle, a woman dressed for battle, her long blonde hair flowing freely, a fierce look plastered all over her regal features.

"Now, now, Taka", Tsunade said, "You've just become interesting."

* * *

 _Seven years ago, in the woods near Awazu_

 _Tsunade couldn't believe her eyes, even after Shikaku had warned her. Their troops were resting in a camp in the woods, licking their wounds and honouring their dead before heading back to their base, victorious but exhausted. The whole camp, however, was rattled, and the men were whispering._

 _There had been sightings of a lone woman emerging from the cadavers, all red from the blood of her enemies, walking in their direction. A ghost, many thought; a ghost had risen._

 _Suspecting one final trick from Asano, Tsunade had surged to the edge of the woods with a few men to meet with this strange apparition._

 _She was still in the middle of the field, birds roaming around her but not daring to strike her, feasting on bodies in her path. Her hair, her skin was all red from their point of view, and she had trouble walking – how could she even stand up, if she had just gone through that battle?_

 _She couldn't be one of theirs – all dead or injured had been accounted for – but Tsunade couldn't remember for the life of her seeing a woman in battle. Only rebellion ranks had welcomed females fighters, and a sight like hers couldn't possibly have been overlooked._

 _As the figure became clearer and clearer, clearly aiming for the edge of the forest, Shizune stepped to whisper something in her ear. Tsunade gestured to all of her men to go back to camp._

 _"Rumours said that Asano brought his young bride on the battlefield. I highly doubt it, but the men had his whims. It could be her. She has been sighted during several battles, fighting alongside him as any of his guards."_

 _The figure was only a few meters away from them now, staggering with the same determination. She was, in a way, a real apparition – without armour, all painted in blood and without any weapon, her jade green eyes fixed on the women, stuck in between relief and supplication._

 _She couldn't be walking right now. Tsunade saw the characteristic bruises scattering the woman – those of a body piled under many others. She could also see wounds, somehow not bleeding, all over her strong body – the body of a fighter._

 _"Who was she?" Tsunade enquired. "The bride?"_

 _Somehow, the woman in front of her was fading, and Tsunade could see the girl shivering beneath, on the verge of collapsing, on the verge of giving up, yet holding on. She was so young, she realised, barely eighteen. She could guess only the number of things a man like Asano could have had made her endure._

 _She looked like a small, frail little bird – but walked like a warrior._

 _"Sakura Haruno, my lady", Shizune whispered._

\- END OF PART 1 -

* * *

Hello there!

Oh my god your reactions for the latest chapter were astounding! Thank you so much for your patience, for being here and hooked to this story. I started writing it a bit lightly but now, shit is getting serious lol. I've outlines of part 2 and 3 already in mind...

Next step - all of our heroes are heading either for the allied rebellion forces or the capital, and we will finally see other characters appearing from the series! Can't wait to get you there.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

In the meanwhile,

love,

uglypotato.


	8. There is no such thing as war

**PART II - COURT**

Chapter 8 - There is no such thing as war

 _"To know your enemy, you must become your enemy."_

* * *

Kakashi hated silence. He thought of it as a held breath, as if everything around him was edging towards something dreadful, a feather on a pin waiting to be tipped over.

In battle, silence meant death. Whether it was for sneak attacks at the heart of the night, or the last breaths on a battlefield, silence meant everything was lost. There was always something to grasp in the playful babble of servants, the yells of the merchants, the peeps and squeaks of young children. Noise and life came together – noise had always been a reassurance, and an anchor – _everything is alright. We are doing good. We are at peace._

The estate had always been eerily peaceful – the inner gardens in the morning mostly were a favourite of his. Life was softly coming anew, and, during gracious spring matinees, it was like witnessing a miracle; a true moment of harmony.

Sparrows were usually chirping in the distance, nesting in the sakura trees along the courtyard, waking up earlier than bigger birds to catch the early insects and bathe in the morning dew. Everything was gradually waking up; and silence was never held long enough to mean anything.

Silence, on the other hand, meant that something was coming.

When he woke up that morning, he felt as if the estate hadn't yet. The sun was slowly getting up, filtering through the plain rice panels in his room, but he couldn't hear any noise – neither the servants nor the birds. It was as if, despite spring, life had halted its course.

 _Is that it? Am I finally dead?_

A sense of dread crept through his heart and clung to his throat. He couldn't be dead; his body was still warm from sleep and he could feel a dull ache at the scar over his eye. _This hasn't hurt in a while._

He had to force his breathing to a normal rhythm in order to reach out, leaving the pain and the fear behind. Suddenly, and clearer than day, he heard footsteps coming towards him.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap

The person was running, and, now that he was calmer, Kakashi could hear him pacing as if he were the man, sweating and huffing all the way to his bedroom.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap

Kakashi looked around, sliding a wakisahi from under his tatami. His sword was leaning against one panel closer to the entrance of the room – it was too late to take it now. Somehow, the warrior knew the man coming towards him probably meant no harm, as his steps were hurried and careless, almost as if he was worried to fall over at any minute.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap

The rice panel at room's entance slid brutally and one of the estate servants appeared, panting and visibly shaken.

"Sorry my lord", he started. "I knew I had to come right away to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Kakashi pressed.

"It's Akatsuki, my lord. They have been sightings, and we just got it confirmed. They are here."

Outside, a suzume flew away from a branch. The flapping of its wings echoed throughout the gardens.

The sword that was leaning against the wall fell to the tatami in a dull thud.

* * *

Naruto was waiting –rather impatiently- in one of the main reception rooms of the gigantic Hyûga mansion, ideally situated in Konoha's oldest district. The capital was bustling and messy, a true hub of activity in the whole Fire Country, but here, everything seemed to slow down.

He had been escorted through tranquil enclosures, sumptuous gardens, quiet apartments, one coming after the other as if there wasn't really any end to the succession of refined rooms. He finally was asked to wait here, surrounded by painted rice panels depicting a starry night. He could see the moon, bright and almost glowing and the succession of stars looking upon rolls of hills all across the room. The colours, discreet but vibrant, somehow appeased his beating heart.

He had to restrain from letting his fingers drum anxiously at the pommel of his katana, and instead kept his hands clasped in front of him, thumbs softly thudding against each other. As he was trying to direct the restless stream of his thoughts, past came knocking.

 _"Father, how do you do?"_

 _"Do what?"_

 _"I feel like… Like there is fire, raging in my chest, trying to get out, all the time. It… hurts."_

 _"Keep your spirit ahead. I am never at ease, you know. This is our family's burden, our family's treasure. I just focus on things, instead of letting my mind wander. That way, I direct my energy towards something else than myself, and it helps."_

 _« But mom told me she could feel it. »_

 _"Oh, I can't hide anything from your mother either. She reads through my very soul, and through yours."_

 _« I don't want her to worry. »_

 _« We are your parents, and we love you. No matter what we do, or where we are, we'll always be worried about you. Your mother just wants to protect you and me. Give it time, listen very carefully to her. We will help you grow stronger, so that one day you can protect her too.»_

He was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of footsteps in his near proximity. As always when memories of his parents came to him, he found himself soothed, a peaceful warmth radiating through all of his body.

"Hinata-sama is ready to receive you, my lord", said a servant stopping at the edge of an opened rice panel.

Naruto rose and followed him through without a word. Behind that panel, he knew, were Hinata Hyûga's private apartments. The moon princess, as many would name her, heir to the oldest -and richest- clan in the whole Fire nation. Many mysteries would surround her – she was a secret well kept, hidden behind layers of tradition. Her very few public appearances had made her very popular, for her beauty and kindness had made her seen as a jewel kept from view, her presence reserved only for the most deserving.

Naruto knew all of this of course, because what felt like a lifetime ago, back when his parents were still alive, he was set to marry her.

The pact had been broken in dire circumstances right after the coup, Danzô's rise shaking many alliances within the kingdom, the Hyûga's main branch siding with him despite the vocal disapproval of many clan leaders. Supported by the elders and more conservatives war lords, they had decided to remain in the capital to retain power and political influence, even if it meant splitting the clan in half.

The lower branch and allied clans scattered all across the country, siding with local samurai families and joined progressively the ranks of Lady Tsunade in the outer regions, to Danzô's anger. Hinata, as heir of the main branch, was to be kept in the capital to appease the daimyô - a symbol, some would say, or an hostage.

Naruto couldn't help a soft intake of breath at the sight in front of him. Sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded with layers and layers of the richest fabrics, ivory and azure tangled together, was Hinata herself. They hadn't see each other in months, not since Naruto had served as her personal escort in perilous circumstances.

They had finally met that day, the Moon Princess and the Son of the Sun, almost ten years after they were supposed to be formally introduced to each other - almost as if it was meant to be.

As she was in front of him once more, Naruto was awfully quiet. Him usually so talkative and outgoing was lost for words, hung somewhere in his throat, constricting around his treacherous heart. She looked up, her pale lilac eyes rising to meet his, her raven hair cascading all over her robes and the floor, making the rich junihitoe fold and sway under her body like a quiet pond.

As he still wasn't speaking, his eyes stuck to her, she shyly turned her look away, the white powder all over her skin unable to hide a newer shade of red in her neck and on her cheeks - like a thousand love bites, almost like a lover's caress. Naruto stifled a groan. This woman was going to be his demise, he was now certain of it.

He finally managed to get his legs moving, and folded them beneath him awkwardly before bowing in front of her, reluctantly peeling his eyes away to look at the soft tatami under his forehead. He drew one long, noiseless breath. - _Keep your spirit ahead -_ and straightened back up.

He knew his silence would be misinterpreted by the servants, like some sort of defiance - it was common knowledge that his family had once been a vocal ally of Tsunade, and his own life since their deaths, on the roads and seemingly afar from politics, was rising suspicions. To protect her, it was probably the best call - look like acquaintances barely bearing each other's presence in a room due to indisputable political rivalries.

He could feel the look of the servants on him, and the whispers. Good.

« Hyûga-hime, thank you for your generosity. I know how an audience with you is a precious present », he finally managed to spill out, forcing a formal tone out of him.

She remained silent for a while, keeping a stony exterior even he was impressed with. From an outsider's perspective, it looked almost like she was defiantly weighing him up - but they both knew the truth was somewhere else entirely.

« It is my duty to fulfill my clans wishes, and an honor to do so », she evenly replied, keeping a firm eye contact with him - lilac and sapphire, dancing around each other.

« The honor is mine. I'm here to enquire about the land purchases my clan has started at our eastern border, near yours», Naruto started, keeping a small smile from tugging at his lips.

Lands at the eastern border - _I have news form the resistance._

« I am all ears, my lord. »

« The terrain belongs to a small Lord, allied with a clan you may be familiar with. »

Allied with a clan you may be familiar with - _you have friends in the capital._

Naruto marked a pause, the flicker in Hinata's eyes impossible for anyone to see but him.

« The lord, despite our previous agreement with the clan, had shown some … reluctance at giving its fair share of land, against compensation. »

 _We are preparing a strike._

Hinata nodded softly, as if this matter was indeed of higher importance.

« I remember this quarrel you mentioned, and i am sad to see it is not yet resolved. »

 _I know._

Naruto shifted, somewhat uneasy, waiting for Hinata to complete her sentence with another code, a more personal note, maybe? He felt foolish for a second, hung to her lips as always.

« I will… meditate on it tonight. The night herons have kept me awake lately, so I shall use this time to focus on that matter. »

Naruto's shoulders sagged unnoticeably in relief. He bowed once more.

« I shall take my leave then. Thank you, for your assistance on this endeavor. »

He got up and left, servants right behind him closing the succession of panels and guiding him outside of the estate. He fought the urge to smile broadly even on the street. His heart felt fuller, for he knew the meaning of her words - after all, they used that code many times before.

 _Come see me tonight, when night herons come out._

 _I will be waiting._

* * *

If Sasuke remembered his years serving the resistance with near perfect accuracy, he somehow forgot how freezing their hideout in the mountains was. It was nothing but gusts of cold wind running seamlessly in-between the stone corridors, passing through the furs and in the tiniest gaps. It was the kind of chill that seeped through your bones, never leaving you, relentless and crawling towards your heart.

Many resistance fighters, he had observed, were always in motion, trying to offset the sensation of cold. They were constantly fidgeting, shuffling and moving around, talking in hushed tones, playing quiet games.

The outcome of this association was pretty simple: at the heart of the rocks, and despite the ageless stillness of mountains, it felt as if everything was continuously moving. It took him less than a few days to remember, but after nearly three months in, Sasuke recognized a feeling he didn't experience in many years: an odd mix of motion sickness and frustration, right here, in the pit of his stomach and at the tip of his tongue. It was getting worse at every blast of wind, every rustle of fabric from one of the many men hiding.

The mountains were growing restless - and so was he. Life here was slowly chipping away his countenance and the more impatient he was becoming, the gloomier he got - for he hated not being in control of the turmoil swirling inside him.

There hadn't been any news, either - no one bothered to tell him if there was any information coming from the Capital. The whispers were escaping him, and knowing both Sakura and Naruto in the hands of Danzô flipped his stomach around.

Since his encounter with Tsunade's troops three months ago, he had to painfully gain some respect back from the resistance fighters. Very little knew the truth of his role as an informant for Tsunade while under the Snake, so many soldiers simply saw him as a criminal plain and simple.

Those who knew the full extent of the truth weren't especially tender with him however, for he was a traitor to them and the cause - and it was probably worse.

He had ran errands and taken dangerous, low-grade missions without complaining, mainly to get away from camp and not rot here to his death. Tsunade's attitude however, distant and calculating, was starting to annoy him, not because of his situation, but especially because she was hiding under the false pretense of assessing him to not decide on a move against Danzô - or in favour of Sakura.

He had no other choice but to trust the resistance, and wait - two things he despised more than anything.

He was standing guard on the highest point of camp, overlooking the mountains in the north, wrapped in furs to protect him from the weather and prying eyes. Some eagles was nearby, for he had been following the movements of a female, hunting around the peaks. They were building a nest - spring, despite all appearances here, was finally coming.

He heard quiet footsteps behind him, the wind carrying a strong smell of tobacco to his nose. He could hear the soft ringing of a kiseru bouncing against the man's wakisahi, and, without looking, let him sit next to him on the scouting point.

Soon, the man removed the long pipe from his belt and Sasuke heard the recognizable sound of a firesteel being hit by a stone - probably jasper, by the smell of the smoke that was carried in the wind.

Smoking had always been a meticulous, five-to-ten steps process. You had to light the fire in a tinderbox, roll and put a small ball of kizami tobacco into it, burn it along some charcoal to carefully scoop it into the long, fine pipe. Not to state how much trouble anyone had to go through to even keep a small flame alive under these winds.

Of all people, he would have never thought that it was Shikamaru's hobby -how could a man with such low tolerance for effort would even consider going through the pain of this entire process for no other reason than personal enjoyment always puzzled him.

He had never asked, of course. But the quiet perplexity would always remain.

« Tsunade wants to see you », Shikamaru said. « She has a mission for you. »

He took one long breath in and the smell of tobacco came stronger between them.

« I think you'll like it », he added.« It's linked to Akatsuki. »

Sasuke felt the hair at the back of his neck rise up to meet the wind. Shikamaru took one long breath through his silver pipe, followed by smaller ones, probably meant to keep the small embers alive.

« We thought they were, you know, rebels, just like us », Shikamaru added with feigned nonchalance. « However, we have some very good sources -inside sources- that reached out. They claim Akatsuki has been allied with Danzô for at least a few months now. »

The last Uchiha kept his eyes on the eagle -no, a hawk- flying in-between the pines hung at the side of the mountain. The high midday sun was stroking its wings, and he could see all the colors of spring caught in it feathers.

Shikamaru blew on his pipe once more, the strong wind carrying the thick smoke immediately away from his face.

« Needless to say this changes everything. What a drag. »

Both men stood quiet for a while as the cold sunlight was running along the edges of the cliffs around them.

« Tsunade thinks I still have connections to them », Sasuke said quietly - it was almost deprived of anger, only remnants of bitterness.

Shikamaru kept his eyes fixated on the horizon. Despite those months spent within camp, no one bothered to speak to Sasuke more than what was strictly necessary. The only one sparing him a few words - or company - was Shikamaru. The man however was always elusive, like clouds drifting aimlessly into the winter's sky. Was it his true character, or a play? The rônin knew better than underestimating one of Tsunade's most trusted men.

« Some of our scouts have come back from the northern regions. High Akatsuki activity has been reported there, and they have been following them, gathering intel. You should meet up with them right away. »

The northern regions were once home of the Uchihas. Nestled in-between the mountains in a luxurious valley, it had been once administrated by a rich, bustling city. It was now rampaged, its castle pillaged, and the theater of various claims for territory. It was dead land, cursed land, a legacy the last Uchiha had never wanted to claim.

Without a word, Sasuke stood up. The heavy furs wrapped around him fell to the ground without a noise as he took in the cold, reinvigorating altitude air. He felt good here, he thought - everything was simpler. His breaths were deeper, noises of camp barely reaching his ears. From the peaks, everything looked still, untouched, and grand.

« What does the Slug want from me, then? »

Shikamaru let out a humorless laugh.

« Well, Taka, Danzô has sent his emissaries to Akatsuki in order to bargain such a deal. We are sending ours. »

* * *

The streets of Konoha were bustling and noisy as always, but to the observant eye, it was easy to understand this kind of agitation wasn't the usual mayhem someone would expect of a state capital. Families were out in the streets, mothers dragging children towards the main road, going straight from the giant gates to the Daimyô's palace.

Many inhabitants were dressed in their finer clothes, street merchants were handing out sweets and grilled meats glided in spiced honey - a land of Sand specialty. The main road in itself had been kept empty, people lined up on the sides and at the windows, some others on the roofs of nearby buildings in order to get the best view possible.

You could hear easily, over the tremors of the crowd, string instruments and drums echoing from the outside of the city towards the gate, kept wide open and decorated for the occasion.

Dignitaries visiting were common in Konoha - but dignitaries from the all-mighty Land of Sand, invited for the first time in many years to the Land of Fire to negotiate an alliance were a one-time sight for commoners. It was unprecedented, and the stakes were exceedingly high, for this alliance could shape up the whole continent in a very different way for the upcoming decade, if not century.

The parade was a display of power and wealth, as hundreds of musicians and soldiers marched in first, dressed in their richest armor, the Seal of their Daimyô emblazoned proudly on their chests. They were chanting and striding in rhythm, the ears beneath them shaking with their feet.

Soon, the Daimyo's personal guard appeared, men and women all dressed in ivory and gold, mounting horses and camels. To the untrained eye, they were as relaxed and carefree as the first soldiers, but their eyes were trained on the roofs and into the crowd, always ready to respond to any potential threat.

Three people were at the center of the white guard, and the main attraction of this parade. A man and woman, both riding white stallions, dressed in ivory and blue - the Daimyo's color- were on each side of a richly decorated gold and red palanquin, where, behind thin fabrics flowing in the wind, the Daimyô himself was seated. He was young, barely a man, his red hair blazing like a thick fire in-between the draperies.

The woman leaned towards the palanquin. Her hair was the color of shifting dunes, a very unusual sight in the Land of Fire.

« I don't like this. The more we advance in this god-forsaken city, the more I want for us to turn around. »

The man on the other side of the palanquin scoffed and pretended not to pay attention to her. His face was heavily painted with warrior's marks, traditional to their land. He was eyeing the crowd with a fake smile plastered all over his face.

« Bloody occidentals. No taste for anything. Did you see the color of this dress, Temari? It's horrendous. »

« Kankuro, focus! » The woman hissed in between her teeth. « We are not here to play fools. »

« But we are. The more lavish we look, the more shallow, the less they will be suspicious around us. We need to play the exoticism card if we want to win in this court of snakes. »

Temari groaned, knowing very well that her brother was right. It had been Gaara's plan, after all. She needed to trust his judgment. Her eyes drifted to her another brother's figure in the palanquin. He didn't let any emotion cross his features, but she knew he was worried.

The only reason Gaara had accepted these negotiations was in order to reach precious allies within the capital. He couldn't send her to Tsunade's troops as much as they both wanted lately, Danzô's spies closing onto them and forcing them to be more cautious than ever before.

The man was smart, she had to give him this - but what were his real intentions? She knew that many emissaries from various clans throughout the Land of Fire were also here, treated as esteemed guests, and were invited to take part in the lavish celebrations and lighter talks planned during the parleys. Some were clans known to be allies, but others…

Temari thought about their allies, back in the mountains. No one knew about their support to Tsunade, but she suspected Danzô had his doubts. Was this plea for peace a giant ploy to get all of his so-called allies in one place? Did he want to make them confess - or worse?

Shikamaru had told them to be careful, last time he was in the land of Sand, less than two weeks ago. They had allies in the capital - but many more enemies. The thought of the Queen's counselor made some uneasiness rise up in her chest, an odd mixup of longing and irritation. They had known each other for nearly ten years, this war bringing Sand and the rebels closer than ever ; but somehow the presence of this strange man had always left her on edge - seeking something, or running away from it, she didn't know.

She threw one last look at her brother, before directing her gaze in front of her, knowing that, to the piercing stares of Danzô's spies in the crowd, she couldn't look unfocused or worried. Gaara knew what to do. He was wiser and stronger than ever before, and she had to trust that judgement.

Their two main goals, she knew.

One, getting through these negotiations alive.

Two, finding Naruto Uzumaki - and Sakura Haruno.

* * *

They had been running for a few minutes in the deep woods surrounding the Estate's northern border, when the first signs of uneasiness started building up in Kakashi's throat.

He had taken a few trusted men with him only, a small party of ten, and had left their horses at an outpost a few kilometers behind. Hidden beneath masks and dark clothes, they were running in the shadows of the giant trees, eyes trailing everywhere around them for a clue on what to expect.

The scout report had been very clear: Akastuki had been sighted by one of their vantage points, seemingly looking for something in these woods. They were notoriously invisible, their fighters highly trained and never to be seen, which had always made them escape state patrols. What had suddenly made them so careless? Kakashi's uneasiness was nearly palpable, a rigid ball in his chest, moving with each of his deep breaths. He was thankful for the repetitive rhythm his body was falling onto, helping him keeping his mind clear.

He could feel the restlessness of his men, some making simple mistakes like tripping or catching small branches as they went. If he was displeased by this negligence, he didn't say a thing : he knew very well that Akatsuki had already spotted them by now, if they were still in the area. His men were trained warriors and he trusted them - but he could understand their apprehension.

A small dark patch on moss made him stop abruptly. He gestured his men that followed his halt, now alert.

He crouched on top of moss and small mushrooms, almost concealed by the shadow of a thick bush. Dipping his fingers carefully onto the patch, he brought them back into the light - blood.

The liquid was thick under his fingers, and nearly dark brown : old blood that had seeped from a wound, probably less than five hours ago. A thick metallic scent clung to the roof of his mouth as he smelled it. It was human blood for sure, but it had been tainted. Poison? Whomever had been injured probably wasn't around anymore… or was dead.

He silently gestured his men to look for more evidence, as he took in their location. They were just a few hundred meters away from their northern border. There were high mountains, sharp and bitter, separating them from the Northern Regions. Whomever crossed their border had to go through the icy peaks during the night in order to remain discreet. Their scouts didn't use poison - the trespasser had been pursued. How long had they been injured for?

One of his men brought back a dart, fallen in-between leaves. He could see remnants of dried up poison on the sharp edge, and blood. There was his answer : the pursuers (Akatsuki? Or were they the pursued?) had followed here, and managed to get a shot.

But where were everybody now?

Kakashi took a whiff of the poisoned blood once more, regretting he didn't bring one of his dogs to track the smell more accurately. He'd have to make do for the time being. Hatake were good at tracking : not as good with dogs as the famous Inuzuka, but they were versed in this art. The wind was soft, and he could smell it carrying relics of scents : deers from the other side of a small river they passed on the way, rich mud warming up under the sun, and right here, on the top of his tongue, blood.

He headed in the direction of the wind, slowly parting away branches, guided by his gut. A small cracked branch on the floor, a drop of smudged blood, parted leaves - he was getting closer. His men were still scouting the perimeter, but he drew his small sword and kept it against his body, alert.

His steps took him towards a drop in the ground, hidden by roots tangling in between large slabs of rock. The smell seemed to stop here - the rich aroma of earth and stone was too strong on the nose for anything to pierce through.

Kakashi lowered himself on the ground, eyeing the natural cavity. It was small, but large enough for a man to hide in- or an animal. His grip on his wakisashi tightened, fingers flexing against the hilt, ready to strike if needed.

The forest was nearly dead silent, so, when he heard a small breath, he nearly flinched. It was distinctive : raspy, desperate to be snuffed out, but here all the same. Someone had been hiding here, alone and wounded. Akatsuki wasn't running from something. They were looking for someone.

The Hatake came out of his own hiding place, guard up.

« Come out now, and show your face », he threw into the shadows in a whisper.

The breath hitched, then stopped. Time stretched and coiled on itself, and Kakashi recognized the thick feeling from this morning : a strange pull with no destination, held between breaths. Silence was back, and he couldn't hear the crisp sound of leaves in the wind, nor the flowing undertones of the river behind them.

« We are not Akatsuki », he added cautiously. « We can help. »

He crouched to be at level with the fugitive that he could almost see an outline of now. They were covered with the same tick mud surrounding the hole in-between the roots, and, if it were not for his heightened senses and years of training, he would've passed them without a second glance.

The mud, suddenly, shifted and rolled as they dragged themselves off of the cavity. It was a man, Kakashi recognized, built like a warrior. Even if crouched, and in a seemingly relaxed posture, Kakashi was alert. The man's face was hidden beneath a mask, and his hand was holding a similar sword as the Hatake, in a semblance of guard. Kakashi, however, noticed the rigidity of the muscles, the slight tremors in the man's chest - the poison was taking effect, and it was a miracle he was even conscious now.

Slowly, his free hand rose up to grab at the edge of its mask, smearing mud and blood all over it, slipping on the clutch holding it a the side. The mask, finally, fell, and Kakashi froze at the sight of the man in front of him.

Jet black hair and eyes - edging towards red. Wide smile, crooked as he remembered, even with his teeth gritted out in pain.

Kakashi remembered Sakura's parting words.

 _« Obito is alive. »_

« So, Kakashi », the man started, in between pained breaths. « No other words for an old friend? »

* * *

The Northern regions were a natural fortress. With the mountains at its south, there was only one road that was practicable and not covered in snow during winter. The giant red gates, similar as those guarding the entrance of Konoha, used to keep intruders out and marked the beginning of the Uchiha estate. It was a rich valley, known for its mild weather and fertile grounds, and it had been the only place in the world were Sasuke had ever felt truly happy.

When the red doors came into view after days of travelling, he couldn't help but feel fire rise up in his chest - warm and proud, soon to be replaced with bitterness. The doors had been torn open, the emblem scratched off and burned, the harsh winds beating down naked rocks and faded colors. It had been many years since he didn't cross those doors - he left only a kid to follow samurai training at the Hatake estate and never came back.

Stepping on old Uchiha land with his crest on his back would have been a stupid idea, Sasuke knew. This barren land had nothing to offer but painful memories, and he wanted nothing to do with it. After nearly ten years of civil war, raids and pillages, it was better not to be seen anywhere near the infamous Clan in the Northern regions. The rônin had taken the habit, for discretionary purposes, to travel in plain clothing.

The Uchiha were known to be the best warrior clan there was. Not only there were strategic and military prodigies, but many of their secret techniques had made them ruthless fighters. There were not, however, an expanding clan, and after settling in this rich valley, they had focused on peacekeeping operations for the whole Land of Fire while building one of the most prolific estate there was. Many had tried to overthrow the Uchiha or conquer their land, but there was a tale, entrenched in the Land of Fire folklore: no one could beat an Uchiha on his own ground.

 _« You have fire in your soul, nothing shall break your bones »_ was an old saying in his family, for those you loved and those who needed no protection but their own. His mother used to repeat it , lips against his scalp right before a long kiss, like a mantra.

Walking through what remained of the giant doors, Sasuke felt his whole body expanding. His breaths became deeper and longer, puffs of hot hair coming out of his mouth. His whole body had always been warmer than the norm - it was a common Uchiha trait- but right now, it felt boiling hot, needing release. His tongue was dry and burnt and his hair smelled of ashes and fire. It was as if something was missing, there, between his shoulder blades, for everybody to see.

Many had said that Uchiha land was riddled with old magic, giving its rulers god-like powers. Others said the Uchiha had chained a powerful spirit, making earth and trees fight with them against any invaders. The truth, Sasuke knew, resided underground. Geothermic currents were spread under the surface of the valley, giving their abilities -linked to fire- more depth and power. He had forgotten after many years away what it felt to be back here, to feel the power of earth rumbling alongside his beating heart.

It would always be their land, their _home_. And while in the Northern regions, the Uchiha were unbeatable.

Sasuke felt a pang of deeply-rooted hatred rise up in his throat. It was why Danzô had chosen to attack while the Uchiha clan leaders were all on Hatake ground. They had left their home to the land of a trusted ally - and they were suddenly not so untouchable.

His horse was indolently walking by the giant gates, unaware of the deeds of its rider. The latter was caught in swirls of painful memories, the sound of katanas unsheathing in rhythm with the hisses of the wind.

He carried on with his journey for another couple hours before running into the first signs of life - rabid dogs, some birds fretting away from a tree at the sounds of his horse's hooves on the broken tiling of the main road. Winter had turned the ground brown and grey, freezing patches of wet grass in the valley, its trees bent and beaten down by the harsh weather.

The rebels' camp was soon in view, hidden under the canopy of old trees, at the edge of one of the main forests of the estate. It was away from the roads, and the wind seemed quieter here - a welcomed sensation. Their tents and shelters were scattered into the branches or on the ground, covered in moss and mud, masking most of the smells, noises and various activities happening here.

He sat down in a large hut whose lower half had been dug into the ground, a hole on top of the roof cut to let smoke from a large fire escape into the grey skies. It smelled of earth and animal skin, the ground a mix of beaten ground and hay. He was used to silence and odd looks but this time, people seemed more curious than defiant about him. Didn't they know who he was? Did they think he was just another traveler?

A small women brought him piping hot tea and a thick broth with a small smile as he thanked her with a curt nod. Sasuke watched her, quiet, not knowing why her presence felt almost soothing. It was as if this woman was linked to him, in an imperceptible way, a tenuous bond rooted in their bones. He could tell she was feeling it too, her deep brown eyes lit with something in-between softness and dedication.

 _She reminds me of my mother._

The woman left without a word, shooting quiet glances at Sasuke on her way out. He was left alone in the hut, waiting for the base leader, a queasiness in his stomach refusing to go away. Soon came in a small woman, younger than him, in thick and warm rebellion clothing. She sat down, cross-legged, in front of the rônin, followed by someone he remembered well - Kiba Inuzuka.

He was expecting the man to speak first, seeing how he could feel his anger and turmoil radiating around him, his mouth stuck into a disdainous grimace. The woman, however, lifted her hand as Kiba was about to speak, and the man shut up immediately. Sasuke turned his eyes towards her, now interested at how anyone could make Kiba Inuzuka quiet, to meet lilac pupils he recognized instantly.

« Welcome to the Northern Regions, Sasuke », she began. « I can imagine how testing it must be for you to be standing here after so many years. »

Taken slightly aback by what sounded like genuine empathy, he nodded without a word.

« I am Hyûga Hanabi. We've never met, but my sister - and her friends - have been telling me a lot about you. »

She was the Princesse's sister, then - which explained the eyes. However, everywhere Hinata was soft, Hanabi seemed strong. Where one was pliant and accommodating, the other exuded of intensity and stubbornness.

« Naruto sends his regards », she added with a small smile.

Even Kiba seemed to loosen at the sound of Naruto's name. He truly was cherished within the rebels - the prodigy son of the sun, beacon of hope for better days. The atmosphere within the small hut didn't seem so heavy anymore and, seeing Kiba's shoulders relax, Sasuke reached for his cup of tea to take a sip. It was bitter, and strong - exactly how he remembered his family brewing it. He felt it seep through his bones, hot and comforting.

« I get that you've seen Ino and Choji back at camp, right? » She asked.

« Yes. They've told me about your Akatsuki reports», Sasuke replied for the first time.

« And what do you think? » Hanabi pressed.

« It doesn't sound like them. »

Kiba came in abruptly into the conversation.

« That's what we were thinking too, but the evidence is everywhere here. There has been sightings of several Danzô emissaries, squad movements led by high-ranking Akatsuki operatives and they've strengthened their policy against us. Danzô's troops, however, have been left alone. »

« What's more disturbing is that some Akatsuki troops have left the region », Hanabi added. « We don't know where - those men are hard to track - but it's worrying. They've never left before, this is their territory, and they couldn't have left in big numbers without Danzô's permission. »

Sasuke took in the information, mind racing. Evidence was piling up against Akatsuki but he couldn't believe the organisation was even remotely considering an alliance with Danzô.

« We know that, with your brother, this situation seems … difficult » Hanabi added.

At these words, Sasuke let out a humorless laugh.

« Difficult ? My brother is an Akatsuki general. Danzô killed our family. This is not difficult. This is impossible. »

« You have to consider the fact that Itachi may have changed. I know it's hard, but the evidence is here. » She paused before adding « And if it's proven true, then … »

« …Then my brother is a traitor. To me, and to my clan- or what's left of it », Sasuke cut short.

Kiba and Hanabi looked at Sasuke without saying a word. The rônin's hands were clasped at his teacup, fingers white from the tension. The porcelain cracked in the silence of the hut, and, as if it was some unspoken signal, the women from earlier entered once more.

Silently, under the three warrior's looks, she took out Sasuke's cup from his hand to put it on a small platter. Her hands were warmer than a normal person's and Sasuke didn't do anything to stop her. She placed another cup, filled it with tea, and handed it over to him.

« Please drink » she said in a small, assertive voice. « The tea is made in these regions. It helps. »

The man said nothing and, without breaking the eye contact, drank some liquid carefully. The sensation from earlier came back, strong, hot, and soothing. It tasted of home and his heart longed for it. He felt a small tremor in the ground around him, imperceptible to others, but plain as day to him. The fire in his heart calmed down almost instantly.

« Good », said the woman.

Without another word, she walked away. Hanabi and Kiba looked at Sasuke, both struck in something between awe and wonder.

« So it is true », Kiba started. « This place. And the Uchiha. I thought it smelled like you here - but I always thought your whole… thing was a myth.».

Sasuke threw the man a questionning look. Hanabi spoke then, softer than her companion.

« Your clan is gone, Sasuke. »

Her lilac eyes trailed over to the entrance of the hut, towards the direction the woman took.

« Your people, and your estate however, are still here. »

At her words, the last Uchiwa felt earth rumble once more under his feet, strong and ancient.

His people.

His land.

His home.

* * *

It had been easy to keep a low profile in the bustling streets of Konoha after night had fallen, but Naruto felt like his heart was thumping so loudly in his chest that it might give him away anytime soon.

Only a few passerby were in the streets near the rich estates at this hour, and he could slip in the shadows undetected. It was the hour of the night herons, dusk had gone and night had come ; and everything was going quiet.

He knew the road to the Hyûga estate well, and, having taken mental notes earlier this day, knew exactly where he had to go to reach the Moon princess' quarters. He jumped over the high wall separating the estate from the street, landing silently on his feet in a vast garden. Guards were scattered, walking at a tranquil pace all around, not specifically on edge - in Konoha, there was only peace.

He slipped beneath high trees, their trunks old and wrinkly under his fingers. Jumping from one place to another, Naruto inhaled the cold air of the night with renewed delight- he had missed this, the thrill of excitement that always came with a dangerous situation, the sense of adventure that seeped his bones and powered his muscles. He was not made for court and its nonsense, but dreamed of open spaces and wild winds.

He arrived through the gardens near a concealed terrace. Spotting a small oil lamp, alight and hidden outside for him only to see, his heart leaped into his chest. It was here, and she was waiting for him.

Looking around, he waited for two guards to pass by and jumped on the terrace, finding one of the rice panels slightly askew, only enough for him to hook his fingers into it and slid it open.

He barely got time to close the panel behind him that small hands encircled his neck and shoulders, soft and warm. A body pressed against his and the weight of it made him stumble forward into a world of soft curves and scented fabrics.

Both of them couldn't contain their mix of eagerness and delight, and Naruto had to plunge his face into the curve of a neck to stifle his soft giggles -or so he told himself. He could feel her chest rumble in silent laughter too, her heart pounding into her ribcage like a small bird's.

They stayed like this for a few minutes, relishing into one another's presence, breaths fanning across their lover's skin and clothes, their smells entangled. Honey and steel, myrrh and coal.

« Do you think they bought it? » Naruto mumbled against the Princess' skin.

Her hands were running up and down his spine through his hakama in what probably was expected to be a soothing gesture but only made him shiver. They stopped right under his shoulders, where he could feel the tip of her delicate fingers pressed into his skin like ten small candles, bright and warm.

Finally, Hinata Hyûga let out a small laugh.

« You were so stiff I think they believed you found me incredibly repulsive. »

At her words, Naruto couldn't help but straighten up to look at her face. She was, oh so beautiful, all pale skin and somber hair, rosy cheeks and smudged powder, thin pink lips and lilac eyes. He cupped her cheek in his hand, fingers caught in her tresses, with a care only reserved for her. How he had missed her, dreamt about those eyes, caught himself staring at faces that reminded him of his Princess everywhere he would go.

« Never », he whispered, feverish.

He saw how his tone affected her as a strong blush crept through her cheeks and neck, burning under his palm. Her eyes looked away for a moment, pinched lips fighting a delighted smile, before settling on his own.

Her hands came creeping on the front fold of his hakama, and soon her lips were on his, soft and loving, lifeline keeping him afloat in a midst of a storm. Both his hands sneaked in her hair as he crushed her against him, smiling under their kiss.

The Moon Princess and the Son of the Sun -as it should have always been.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes away from the flying embers in front of him. He followed their erratic paths out of instinct and habit, the motion appeasing him somehow. He was sitting in a large hut, a bright fire burning in the center, its occasional smoke flying away through small holes on top of the concealed roof. It felt unnecessary to him, burning such a fire as spring was coming, but the others seemed to enjoyed it.

The last Uchiwa was having a hard time reconciling with his swirling thoughts - and it hadn't been this way for a long time. These lands, strong and rumbling with what he associated with the beating of an ancient heart, heightened everything. There was no anger, but rage ; no joy, but exhilaration ; no love, but…

A gust of wind made the panel covering the entrance of the hut flutter, and a waving shadow danced near him for just an instant, embracing the moving light from the flames. For a moment he swore he saw a woman in the shadows. Her figure was long and strong, taunt muscles swaying with grace, long tresses following her movements - was she dancing, or fighting?

A low feeling pooled in his stomach as he thought of Sakura's last meeting with him under the moon. Were they fighting, or dancing? He should've stayed. He should've come with her.

 _Never alone. Never again._

The shadow, and the strange feeling that came with, disappeared, and soon Sasuke was left again with embers and bitter memories.

« Care to share what's on your mind, Sasuke? We didn't come here to watch you sulk in silence. »

Sasuke turned to look towards his tent companions. The man that spoke ran his hand through his odd-looking white-blue hair, seating in a laid-back position. His giant sword next to him, however, gave very little doubt on what his livelihood was.

« Do not talk to Sasuke like that, you idiot! He probably has his reasons », a woman intervened.

She was sitting right next to the Uchiwa, sipping a cup of tea with faked serenity. Flames from the fire danced in her red hair like they belonged here.

« Come on Karin, stop sucking up to him like that, we both know you stand no chance », the man replied.

« Both of you, language », intervened a third person.

If his placid looks gave no reason to worry whatsoever, the man in front of Sasuke was one of the fighters he respected the most. He was probably the most dangerous person in this room- and it gave the two others a good reason to stop their bickering.

« Sugietsu, Karin, Juugo », Sasuke started. « You know why I've called you here. »

The air in the tent thickened.

« Danzô », Sugietsu let go in-between gritted teeth. « I've been wanting to take that son of a whore down for a while now. »

« He's made all of our lives hell, yes. But what do you want us to do, Sasuke? » Karin put down her cup of tea, stretching by the fireplace. « According to your intel, he's allying with Akatsuki, and it can't be good for us. I don't see an opportunity here. »

The three of them turned to look at Sasuke whose eyes would not leave the flames. The red was almost licking at his pupils, twirling and making him look like someone else. They all knew the legends surrounding the Uchiwa- and they all had seen Sasuke in combat. Those eyes reminded them of darker times, and death.

It was Juugo who dared speak after, his voice soft.

« Sasuke, why did you call us here? What is your plan? »

The rônin finally looked at them three.

« We are going to join Akatsuki. »

Sugietsu let out a roar of incredulous laughter.

« Look, I know your brother is in here, but if what anything from the Rebellion reports are true, he is far gone, Sasuke.»

« Shut up Sugietsu » Karin intervened, far more collected than earlier. « Sasuke is right. There are things we can only do, or discover, from within the organisation. » She turned to the Uchiwa for her next question. « What I do not understand however, is how we could join Akatsuki. They'll keep a close eye on their ranks and there is no way word from your little escapade at the Haruno estate hasn't gone out. I've already heard about it as if I was here » she scoffed.

Sugietsu leaned in her direction, mischievous. « So that's why you've been so grumpy lately, Karin. I thought you were unusually quiet. »

He caught the teacup she hurled at him without a word.

« Come on now », the man said once more. « Let's play nice. »

Sugietsu put down the cup next to him, staring at it for a moment of what looked like cautious wonder.

« Akatsuki and Danzô know us -especially you. They won't trust us, even more if they are allied », he carried on in a softer voice. « Karin is right. Plus, why take the risk to make all four of us go in? You might have had a chance if going alone, thanks to your brother. As a group, it's riskier. »

« You want us to help you do something. To win their trust, is that so? » Juugo supplied.

To that, Sasuke let out a small smile, flames still reflecting all over his alabaster skin. He sipped his tea in silence before speaking.

« You are right. Akatsuki won't trust us, unless we show up with… a present, of sorts. » He looked at them three. « And thanks to the Snake, we know exactly what Danzô wants the most. »

Karin was now looking at her hands, opened like a cup, making it seem that the sparks of the fire were here, in her palms, almost like a quiet pond.

« The Jintsūriki are children tales, Sasuke. The Snake spent years looking for them, but stumbled in the dark without much results. »

« I'm sorry, the what now? » Sugiestu asked.

« Jintsūriki, you idiot. Descendants of the gods. » Karin snapped.

« They are believed to be 9 of them, descendants of god lineages, bearing great powers. Danzô has been obsessively hunting them, trying to use these powers for himself. » Juugo completed.

« I have to admit that it sounds like this monster to be that interested in god-like lineages », Sugietsu drawled. « That would explain why he was so hell-bent on killing you-… »

« Sugietsu! » Karin barked -but too late.

An uneasy silence fell into the tent. Sasuke's look was back into the flames and none of the three remaining people knew what to do to break it.

« The Rebellion led by the Slug Princess found one », Sasuke said after a while. « In Kumo. »

« Whomever they are, they won't go willingly. At least not without a fight » Juugo noted.

Sugietsu's mouth widened into a large smile.

« Oh, Sasuke. This is what you should've started with.»

* * *

Kakashi was engulfed in a particularly boring report on the state of grain in the western parts of the kingdom, the words escaping him and flying away from the paper like a thousand flies. He could not stop the incessant buzzing of his mind, and hadn't slept well the night before, getting up several times to check on Obito's state, but turning away from the door once the room in view.

It was not like sleep came to him easily -he had always been a light sleeper, and nightmares were waiting to lurk around the corner of his mind- but he was in a particularly sour mood.

Putting aside the roll of paper in a huff, he sat down in a more relaxed stance, feet dangling from the small platform opened to the gardens.

It seemed like yesterday to him, this eerie morning when he and Sakura spoke last, on this same platform. So many months had gone by, and spring was almost upon them now. The past few weeks had been a succession of sunny mornings and ruthless showers, and calm moments like these shouldn't be wasted.

The panel door to the platform slid open in one swift move, and Kakashi reached to grab a kunai he hid under his belt.

Obito's eyebrow lifted up as he assumed an amused stance.

« You seem on edge. »

Kakashi let out a huff before putting the small weapon next to him. Obito didn't wait for any formal invitation and sat down next to his old friend, mirroring his position. The soles of his feet were just shy away of the pale yellow, burgeoning flowers of the barberry shrubs right under them, still wet from an earlier rain.

From what Kakashi could see, he seemed pretty fine for a man that had been at hands with death just a fortnight ago - but could he trust his eyes anymore, and his instincts? Up until a few days ago, Obito had been as dead as can be.

« What's on your mind? You've always been a grumpy one, but I don't remember you being like this. »

Kakashi turned to look at Obito, properly astonished.

« You.. » He huffed, before breathing through his nose, his hands coming to cover his eyes for a minute. « You were alive, this whole time. »

Kakashi paused, his voice now edging somewhere in-between contained fury and heartbreak. His voice was muffled through his mask and his hands were shaking, but when he spoke again, through gritted teeth and a tightened throat, it was strong and unrepentant.

« You were alive, and you didn't come to me. »

Obito's feet stopped their careless motion. He looked at Kakashi as the man was now staring at him, his grey eyes like the center of a hurricane, electric and fierce. He had never seen that man loose so much of his temper, not like this, his few memories of him sharp, blunt. The perfect samurai, and the perfect weapon. Somehow, it got him to drop his nonchalant act for a more empathic tone.

« I couldn't. Akatsuki found me, and fixed me. I owed them a debt, and they needed me to stay anonymous. »

« There was no fixing you, Obito. You were dead. »

The man remained silent for a while, and Kakashi turned his look away in a long sigh. He removed his mask and let his hand run through his hair and along his face. Obito looked at the long scar running from his forehead, across his eye and all the way down to his neck. Under his cheek, it was nothing but a thin line, but around the eye the cut was still deep.

« We both know stranger things happened that day. Why me being alive-… »

« I couldn't bury your body. I couldn't bury your body, and, when the time came, I couldn't bury Rin's, either », Kakashi cut him off. « I was alone in the world, and I had no bodies to bury. »

Kakashi's voice stopped in a shaky sigh. Obito was, for once, speechless: Kakashi was supposed to be unbreakable. Kakashi had always been the leader everyone turned to, and echoes of his prowesses came to him even deep within the guts of Akatsuki. Of all things, what he had not expected was the toll of grief and loneliness his friend had been facing.

« They didn't know what to do with me, so they've postponed my genpachu, by years. I helped my father train the new generation. New children, who had not seen the war. They thought it would help me… move on, I guess. Forget, at least. »

Kakashi turned to look at Obito once more, those jet black eyes he had known and longed for for many years, but were now mirrors of this man's treason and ugly secrets.

« Every time I looked at them, it made me think at how alone I was. Misplaced. Spared -the last one standing, with no bodies to bury and no one but tombstones to talk to. »

« Kakashi… » Obito whispered tentatively.

« How could you do this to me?! » The man finally snapped.

A few birds fretted away from a sakura tree nearby. The sound of their wings echoed loudly in the courtyard, in rhythm with Kakashi's labored breaths, physically restraining himself.

« I thought we were friends. I thought we were… »

Obito's hand came resting on the sleeve of his kimono.

« Kakashi, for what it's worth, I wanted to give you a sign, just a whisper, a rumor, but it was too dangerous, for both of us. » He inhaled sharply at Kakashi's look. « Please trust me when I say I thought about it over a thousand times. »

« Why would I trust you? » Kakashi murmured. « After all, you are nothing more but a stranger with the face of a friend. »

Obito removed his hand from Kakashi's arm slowly. He knew he had no right to, but his words cut deep. The Uchiwa turned his eyes away to face the radiant skies opening up in front of them. He inhaled deeply as Kakashi's silence filled the space between them.

« Because, Kakashi… » Obito started softly. « Because I'm alive, and I'm here now. »

He paused, waiting for Kakashi to say something -but the man was stubborn. The samurai's eyes were back in the gardens, his features slowly going back to normal. The storm had passed, even if many things were left to say. Obito could nearly see it, brewing under the surface of his skin. Electricity.

« And also », Obito left his last words hanging in the clear, fresh morning air, « because so is Rin. »

* * *

Konoha had once been a place of knowledge and wisdom, hidden jewel in-between the trees of the lush forest of Fire country. Its high libraries, proud castles and gorgeous temples were revered and one of the main sources of attraction of the city, dragging scholars from their towers and their palaces to seek comfort and advice during darker times.

Under Tsunade's peaceful reign, Konoha's inner castle was always bustling with activity, and you could see erudites from all over the world debating with shoguns and lords while strolling in the gardens, enjoying the sound of a biwa or shamisen being played by men and women alike.

Konoha was now a kingdom of strength and order. Milita was constantly parading, and while generals still had their quarters in the main fortress, there was no music in the gardens but the sound of heavy boots and clicking armors.

Now, in order to find anyone interesting and have a pleasant chat, you had to look away from the castle, away from the high streets, and go deep in the entrails of the noble borough, right next to the artisans' quarter, where whispers and rumors could not fall into prying ears. It was beneath the gutters and below the silk shops that you could find secluded spaces, where what was left of the influential circles could meet around a glass of warm shôchu or two.

What used to be done in plain sight was now of secret nature and dealt in the shadows - and appearances were everything. If some of these clubs were well-known by court officials and under some sort of governmental supervision, some where more secretive - and selective.

The smoke of kiserus was flying low and heavy in-between the mahogany seats and luxurious tapestries of the parlor Sakura was seating in. Men were seating in relaxed positions, nearly sprawling all over the cushions and drinking occidental alcohols while the (very few) women around were either waitresses or company hired for the night.

It was, despite all appearances, one of the selected parlors tolerated by the daimyo - and some of his own councilmen could be spotted from time to time in-between the usual crowd of politicians and generals.

Sakura was seating in one of the booths, swirling a cherry inside of her ginger and sake drink with faked caution while trying to pick up any conversation that seemed of interest. From time to time, a general or politician would come and greet her- which was a nice change of pace from what her three months had been. It had taken many lewd looks and comments before she was considered anything but Akamatsu's new pet.

She was very thankful for the man who had been nothing short of precious while helping her navigate through the different layers of court life, introducing her to many more people than she should count.

While putting on her little act of perfect - but inexperienced- Lady of her house, Sakura couldn't help but feel frustrated. How long would she have to act clueless and naïve, how long before there were action to be taken?

She had not hear, despite her visits to Ichiraku's, any word from the resistance. Naruto had encountered the same problem, and that silence was starting to worry her. The owner of the shop -a man with a benevolent facade, but a quiet resistance ally for many years- had assured her that messages from Tsunade were rare, and often information would go the other way, whispers and rumors in the capital travelling all the way to the furthest mountains.

« Anything wrong, Sakura? » Shinzo Akamatsu enquired as he came to sit next to her.

« I'm just thinking about how much more receptive to my border trouble Myôgi-dono would be if I were to suggest I see his wife at least once a week -and how the lady next to him is very much not her», Sakura said with the slightest chin movement in the direction of a man opposite her.

Akamatsu let out a small laugh that he covered by taking a sip of his own drink.

« These man are barely warming up to the fact that you are part of their dirty little secrets and you are thinking of blackmailing them already? If the word goes out, this parlor will soon be empty, I'm afraid.»

«It is very tempting though. » Sakura took a calculated sip of her drink from the tip of her fingers, carful not to let the fabric slide away from her hands. « At least, they are not mistaking me for an oiran anymore » she muttered.

« None of those men are stupid - but your family's… history with the daimyo doesn't exactly play in your favour. Give them time, and in time, they shall know you- and maybe trust you. »

Sakura looked around, defiant. Of all the faces she recognized, very few dared to hold her look. It was hard, to fit in, harder than she thought. She had to act, to stand out, gain their trust, learn about them, and, slowly, climb all the way to Danzô.

« Oh, they will know me. »

She turned to Akamastu with a coy grin he only could see. The man turned to look at the room, visibly pleased by her attention but too much in control to show it. Sakura however, knew exactly what he wanted to hear.

« And, when time comes, with you by my side, they will fear me. »

Shinzo Akamatsu could not contain a small smile this time.

* * *

Hello y'all!

Hope you liked this chapter. We are starting part 2, focused on court and politics - hope you'll enjoy what I've planned.

If you are wondering, I'm using the real Japanese word for supernatural or magical power, Jintsūriki (神通力, Literally meaning: God-Reaching Power) instead of the Naruto-world, fictional term Jinchūriki (人柱力, Literally meaning: Power of Human Sacrifice) that is a derivative. Why you ask? Because I'm a words nerd! (And also because I feel like this definition fits a little bit better a piece of the story I have in store for you).

Thanks again for your kudos, comments and overall reactions to my work, it's what keeps me going.

In the meanwhile,

Love,

lovelyuglypotato xxx


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